Hail is one of those things that can occur anytime there is a stark contrast in temperatures in the upper atmosphere and hotter temperatures closer to the ground. Because the heat has not risen high enough to warm the upper air near the clouds, precipitation forms hail as it falls to the ground. It will melt, but as it falls, it cannot heat up enough to turn back into rain before it hits objects below.

For the most part, small hail "stones" do very little damage. It is other hailstones of varying sizes you have to worry about. Here is what you can expect in terms of damage in relation to the size of the hail and how auto hail damage repair can fix that.

Pea-Sized to Penny-Sized

This size of hail would have to be hurtling so hard and fast at your vehicle to cause any damage. Maybe, maybe you will have a few scratches from some hailstones that have pointy or sharp edges, but that is about it. If you are really concerned about that, the repair technician can buff out the scratches with a light buffing and then gently paint over the scratch with a colored damage control paint stick.

Quarter-Sized to Golf Ball-Sized

Now you are talking! Hail this size can put some small dents in the car if it hits the panels at just the right angle. You are more likely to see a dent or two on the roof, hood, or trunk of your vehicle than on the side or door panels. It will be hard to see unless you use a stepladder to get up higher to look down on the roof. A little pneumatic suction will take care of these little dents no problem.

Everything Bigger Than a Golf Ball

The biggest recorded hailstones were the size of small watermelons or oversized softballs bordering on basketballs. If these come hurtling out of the sky, your vehicle is going to have some very serious damage. These hailstones can smash auto glass, pummel trunks and hoods, and leave massive dents and scratches in the doors and side panels. Before you find a technician that can repair this much hail damage, you best file a claim with your auto insurance agent. It is highly likely that your auto insurance will cover the costs of these damages because hail is considered an "act of God," and therefore a covered occurrence.