Should You Close Blinds During a Storm?

When a storm rolls across the Front Range, closing your blinds and curtains is a small step that does real work. It helps contain flying glass if a window breaks, and it helps your home hold a steadier temperature while the weather swings. Neither reason is dramatic on its own. Together they make closing up a simple habit worth keeping.

Closed coverings help contain broken glass

The biggest reason is safety. High winds during a severe storm can pick up debris and drive it into a window. If the glass shatters, a closed blind or a drawn curtain gives that glass something to hit, which can keep shards from spraying across the room. It is the same logic behind standard severe-weather advice to put barriers between you and your windows. A closed covering is not armor, but it is a sensible last layer between broken glass and the people inside.

They help your home hold its temperature

Windows are where homes lose and gain the most heat, and window coverings change that. The U.S. Department of Energy notes that closing draperies on sun-facing windows during warm weather cuts heat gain, and that medium-colored draperies with a white plastic backing can reduce heat gains by about 33 percent (U.S. Department of Energy, "Energy Efficient Window Coverings," retrieved 2026-07-10). During a summer storm that spikes the afternoon heat, closed coverings help your rooms stay comfortable and take some load off the air conditioner. In winter weather, the same coverings slow heat loss at the glass (U.S. Department of Energy, "Windows, Doors, and Skylights," retrieved 2026-07-10).

Privacy and glare, while you are stuck inside

There is a comfort angle too. A storm usually means everyone is home, lamps and screens are on, and the light outside is doing strange things. Closed blinds cut the glare from a bright, gray sky and keep the inside of your home private when you are least likely to want an audience. It is a small thing that makes a long afternoon indoors nicer.

What holds up best on the Front Range

Colorado gives windows a workout, from hail and hard thunderstorms to some of the most intense sun in the country. If storm season has you thinking about your windows, a few options are worth a look. Plantation shutters close into a solid, tight layer over the glass. Exterior shades handle sun and weather on patios and big west-facing windows. And treatments chosen for insulation support your home's energy efficiency all year, not just during a storm. If you want help matching treatments to your rooms and your exposure, book a free in-home consultation and we will bring samples to you.