Snow Or All Season Tires?

In states that experience severe weather changes such as summer and winter climate, a common question may be “Do I need to change out my tires?”

The answer is YES! In these states all season tires should be run in the spring, summer, and fall seasons then winter tires should be put on for the winter season.There are a few things that might make these tires differnt. All season tires are made to withstand warmer climates giving them longer wear. Running winter tires in warmer climate will not provide the same handling as all season tires, you will not get the response needed from a winter tire in warmer weather and your vehicles performance could be compromised. The rubber in a winter tire is designed to stay soft in freezing temperatures which allows the tire to conform to the road better. An all season tire will harden as the temperature drops making it harder to gain traction. The most important difference is a vehicle with winter tires stopping distance can be 30-40% shorter on snow, ice, or cold pavement compared to an all season tire.

“So how do I know when I should change my tires over?”

The temperature to do a tire change over is around 45 degrees. When temperatures start to hit above 45 degrees it is time to put on all season tires. When temperatures start to hit below 45 degrees it is time for winter tires.Tires can be run for numerous seasons if changed out properly. Running winter tires year round will cause them to wear down very quickly due to warm temperatures, therefore it will end up costing more in the long run then changing them out accordingly.