A few tips to help you decide if you should install your summer tires right now

Drivers across Canada have noticed that the weather outside is getting warmer and the roads are getting clearer. With the imminent arrival of spring, most of us are itching to replace our winter tires and our winter wheels with our summer tires and original wheels that came with our vehicle.

But is at the right time to install your summer tires and should you be concerned about a possible snowfall coming in the next few weeks? If there is one thing all Canadians know, it is that winter is unpredictable and it often tends to last longer that we would want it to.

With that in mind, is at the right time to install your winter tires? To answer that question, you want to keep a close eye on the weather. There are two important factors to keep in mind when it comes to choosing the right time to install your summer tires.

The first is outside temperature. Summer tires are designed to perform optimally when the weather outside is above 7°C. If it is colder than that, the rubber on your tires will harden which will increase stopping distances and lower overall stability. Driving on summer tires in cold weather will also negatively impact your tire’s life span.

The other variable to keep in mind is that summer tires are no good in a snowstorm! You knew this already, but did you know than most regions in Canada will get a snowstorm in April once out of three years?

For all of these reasons, we recommend that you keep your winter tires on until at least April. This way, you will have optimal stability when it is colder in the morning and evenings of March, and you will be prepared should we get that once-every-three-years snowstorm. That said, you can still book your appointment today for your summer tires. This way, you will avoid the hustle and bustle of April at our tire centre. Give us a call today to learn more.