A320 FLT CREW HAS THE L WINDSHIELD CRACK DURING ENCOUNTER WITH WX; DECLARES AN EMER AND PROCEEDS TO DEST.

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I WAS THE PF. WE WERE CLRED BY ATC TO CLB FROM FL360 TO FL380 FOR TFC. THE CTLR SAID THE RIDE WAS RPTED AS LIGHT CHOP AND THAT HE WOULD GET US BACK TO FL360 AS SOON AS TFC WAS CLR AND IF WE WANTED FL360. WE WERE IN THE TOP OF A HAZE LAYER AND CLR ABOVE. THERE WAS NOTHING INDICATING A NEED FOR THE WX RADAR TO BE ON. THERE WERE NO AIRPLANES DEVIATING AND ATC WASN'T QUERYING US ABOUT ANY WX HE WAS SEEING. OUR PREFLT PLANNING IN ZZZ1 DIDN'T INDICATE ANY SIGNIFICANT WX ON OUR RTE OF FLT AT FL360. AFTER ABOUT 20 MINS OR SO AT FL380 WE STARTED ENCOUNTERING LIGHT CHOP/LIGHT TURB. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE INTENSITY GREW ENOUGH WHERE THE CAPT SEATED THE PAX AND THE FLT ATTENDANT. A FEW MINS LATER WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB AND IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED AND RECEIVED A CLRNC TO DSND TO FL360. AROUND FL370 WE EXPERIENCED PRECIP AT WHICH TIME I TURNED ON THE WX RADAR. WE SAW LEVEL 2 AND LEVEL 3 WX INDICATIONS AHEAD AND STARTED EXPERIENCING HVY PRECIP. I REQUESTED THE CAPT LET ATC KNOW WE NEEDED A R DEV IMMEDIATELY. ATC CLRED US FOR A R DEV. WHILE DSNDING TO FL360 AND TURNING TO THE NEW HDG; THE PRECIP SOUNDED STRONGER. MY HEAD WAS DOWN LOOKING AT THE RADAR. UPON REACHING FL360 AND ON OUR NEW HDG WE BROKE OUT AND WERE IN THE CLR AND THE RIDE WAS LIGHT CHOP. THE CAPT POINTED TO HIS WINDSHIELD AND THAT IS THE FIRST TIME I NOTICED IT WAS CRACKED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; WE RECEIVED AN ANTI-ICE L WINDSHIELD ECAM. WE WENT TO THE FLT MANUAL AND READ THAT IT WAS JUST CREW AWARENESS. WE FOLLOWED THE FLT MANUAL GUIDANCE FOR A CRACKED WINDSHIELD WHICH CALLED FOR A MAX OF 5 PSID AND TO DSND TO FL230 TO GET THAT. THE FLT MANUAL HAD TO GO TO MANUAL PRESSURIZATION TO ACHIEVE THE 5 PSID. WE REQUESTED AND WERE CLRED TO DSND TO FL220 FOR DIRECTION OF FLT. THE CAPT TOLD ATC THE SITUATION AND DECLARED AN EMER. HE THEN GOT ON THE RADIO WITH COMRDO TO GET A PHONE PATCH WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT. UPON REVIEW OF ALL THE INFO AND THE SITUATION; DISPATCH SAID WE COULD PROCEED SAFELY TO ZZZ2 WITHOUT THE EMER DECLARATION IF THE CAPT WAS AGREEABLE. THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED IT AND AGREED TO CANCEL THE EMER WITH ATC AND GET PRIORITY HANDLING FROM ATC WITH DISPATCH ASSISTANCE. WE ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM OUR PRESENT POS DIRECT TO THE FAF. WE WERE CLRED THE VISUAL APCH AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. THERE WERE NO PAX OR CREW INJURED.