Hi Sandy,

I'm impressed to hear your doing some research on windows before spending your money. A lot of people jump on the first great sales pitch they think they're getting a deal on. I applaud your approach. My only recommendation to you when searching out information on these forums is be careful what you read. There are a lot of posters on these forums who tend to steer people in the wrong direction. There are a core of good people who really try to get you the information and help your looking for. You'll understand what I'm saying as the search unfolds and answers come your way.

With your location at an altitude higher than us bottom feeders below, you'll most definitely need to get a window manufactured at a higher altitude or set up with proper capillary tubes to even the gas pressure inside your Insulated Glass Units (IGU). Most of the glass is made in a lower altitude and barometric pressure across the nation. If this product is shipped to a higher altitude the barometric pressure change can cause severe bowing of the glass and even breakage. Just make sure your getting a product made for your altitude. I'd assume your local distributors already have this covered, but this will head off potential issues down the road. The glass is an important part of your window. With the high winds it would be good to go with some type of impact glass. Something with a laminate glass on the exterior side of the IGU would fit your situation. The laminate glass is similar to the windshield on your vehicle. It won't shatter or break into sharp shards if broken. Most projectiles will stay embedded in the glass with out breaching the room with flying debris. This glass will also give you a much more quieter home as it will block out more sound. If Oberon reads this he'll be able to explain this in more detail as he is the "GOD" of the glass industry, and a great person on top of that.

The exterior construction of the new window frame should be something that won't dent or break. Most of the vinyl's out there today are pretty resilient to flying debris. The clad units are better with an exterior side that is extruded verses one that is rolled or capped over wood. The extruded material is much stronger than the other. Marvin and Eagle are two examples of a good extruded product worth consideration. They both also offer Kynar Finishes which is probably one of the best exterior finishes on the market today. You can pick from a rainbow of colors where vinyl limits you to only a couple choices.

The most important thing in all of this search is finding a good qualified installer to put the windows in properly. This will make it all pay off in the end when it's completed. Installation is the key to any window replacement no matter how much money your going to spend. The best window on the market is junk if not installed properly. In your case I would highly recommend a "Full Frame Replacement" and not an "Insert". You'll benefit more by replacing the entire window and using the nail fin to secure the new window. This will allow a more securely fastened window which will stop air and water infiltration much better than an insert replacement. Also make sure the installers use a "Low Expansion Foam" to insulate and seal the windows in place (as long as it is acceptable by the window manufacturer). This will add another line of defense and security to the new window.

Hopefully this will get you going in the right direction. Good Luck!!!

Hi! guy_exterior gave oodles of great tech info, I will share our homeowner experience with strong wind.

We are along the Central coast of CA, just south of Santa Cruz on exposed slope. The last large storm in Feb had NWS issued a warning for 75 MPH wind gusts in our area. No clue if that happened but it blew like crazy yanking on a very large oak next to our house like it is a toy. Twigs and old dead branches (about 1-inch) blew off and crashed into a bank of casement windows. Luckily, the tempered glass held up and the cladding took the punishment. We can see one light scratch but otherwise safe.

We also have a bank of Aluminum clad french doors that are exposed to pelting by branches and even pea gravels whipped up by wind gusts that often range from 40 to 60 MPH around that side of the house. It is an open exposed slope. Got nailed again this time by some gravel but so far, no visible damage.

We do not have severe low temperature so no experience there. With good installation though, we could hardly hear the wind blasting through. If not for the impact on the windows and doors and seeing the trees vibrating, we could not tell by sound how strong it was blowing.

We have low-E (designed for our area) and argon filled windows (you are too high for gas fill) and throughout the entire storm, we stayed warm and cozy inside. Power went out for about half a day but the low-E made the residual heat last until power came back.

It is worthwhile to seriously look into aluminum clad, tempered glass, low-e and may be even triple pane units.

Good luck!