# Do you change tires for the season? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 2, 2013, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860 "2013-01-02T18:52:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860/21 "2013-01-02T20:35:47Z")
> [@Mr.Accident](#): > > Nope, never have. We might get enough snow to stick to the roads once a year, and that’s usually just for a day. Heh, great user name/post combo. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860/22 "2013-01-02T20:37:14Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I think that’s a big part of it. I shouldn’t say they don’t clear the roads; they do shove the snow around a bit, and they sand/salt the major roads, but a great example is last week - we had snow and then very cold temperatures, and every road except the major ones were a skating rink with some gravel sprinkled on it, and that lasted until the temperatures came up above zero again. My husband spent some time in Kitchener, ON, and he tells me all the time how Kitchener clears all the roads of snow within 24 hours of a snowfall; that sounds like a mythical fairy story to me. 🙂 Jeez, no. We just got wholloped twice in a week and the equipment is out there overnight ploughing until the roads are clear, and then for a few days afterwards they move all the roadside piles into dump trucks and drop the snow at various snow dumps throughout the region. Mind you it costs millions of dollars to clean up after one of these major storms, but still… ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860/23 "2013-01-02T20:44:48Z")
Using all-seasons all year in places that get seriously cold is a bad idea. The issue isn’t just snow - it’s also road temp. Winter tires grip the road at low temps and all-seasons do not, not as well at least. > **[Autos | Car Reviews, Auto News and More | The Star](https://www.thestar.com/life/autos/)** > > Latest news, reviews and advice on buying a car, saving gas, electric vehicles, tires and more. Visit Toronto Star Autos for news and trends in the auto industry. > [@](#): > > The biggest difference between an all-season tire and a winter tire is not so much tread pattern, though that plays a part, but the rubber compound in the tire. Just like clothing can be made of a blend of fibres — polyesters, cotton, nylon and so on — a tire for all seasons or each season is likewise comprised of various rubber compounds. It’s the type and blend that makes one tire better in summer than winter; an “all-season” tire is really just a compromise. > > Truth is, winter tires are made of a denser rubber compound than all-season tires — and more of it. More importantly, the compound is designed to stay malleable during colder temperatures, allowing them to provide the grip all tires are designed to deliver. An all-season tire, on the other hand, is made of less rubber that makes for a smoother and adequately grippy ride in the summer, but tends to harden up when there’s a chill. > > Technically, a moderate 7 degrees Celsius, or 45 degrees Fahrenheit, is roughly the threshold where non-winter rubber starts to harden. Generally speaking, once the temperature drops below -10 C / 14 F, almost every all-season tire behaves more like hardened plastic than flexible rubber on asphalt. It takes little imagination to figure out what that might do to your ability to stop or steer in a jam. ---
**Author:** ![Krouget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b38774/32.png) [@Krouget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krouget)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860/24 "2013-01-02T20:49:59Z")
Yes, I switch to dedicated winter wheels/tires during the cold months, and back to dedicated summer wheels/tires for the warmer ones. There is just no replacement for tires, and I see benefits all around. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860/25 "2013-01-02T22:16:21Z")
I said it depends because on one vehicle I do and the other I don’t. The car that gets the snows happened to come with an extra set of rims and has small wheels (=cheaper) so it got snow tires. The car that doesn’t get snows is AWD so at least that helps some. I don’t think I could fit a second extra set of tires in my garage, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860/26 "2013-01-02T22:20:05Z")
Nope. I run snow tires year round. We can get snow from Sept/Oct all the way through April so there really isn’t worth it to change over. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860/27 "2013-01-02T22:36:10Z")
Oops. I clicked “yes” by mistake. So reduce the yes votes by one and make mine a “no.” I live in SE Michigan (snow and ice, but it’s usually not a big deal) and currently my two vehicles - a pickup truck and a minivan - wear the same tires for every season. Yes, I get “all season” tires but since both of these vehicles are appliances and I’m of the opinion that the major criterion in staying on the road is driver ability, not equipment, this works for me. When I had a very sporty car (Saab Viggen) I did have two sets of tires, but honestly barely drove the Saab when road conditions were awful. I mostly drive on fairly urban/suburban roads and for the most part major roadways are maintained pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860/28 "2013-01-02T23:14:03Z")
I live in a warm enough place (North Florida) that I can get away with using summer tires all year round, tho when we have a hard freeze I have to be careful in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860/29 "2013-01-02T23:55:53Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > My husband spent some time in Kitchener, ON, and he tells me all the time how Kitchener clears all the roads of snow within 24 hours of a snowfall; that sounds like a mythical fairy story to me. 🙂 that’s the part that gets warm more than a month. they have wood houses there out of necessity. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860/30 "2013-01-03T00:08:31Z")
I run on snowtires all year round. Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armour – a nice off-road tire for my Jeep that is also an excellent snow tire. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860/31 "2013-01-03T00:09:16Z")
It’s actually a law here in Montreal that you have to change your tires for the seasons. ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860/32 "2013-01-03T00:13:52Z")
I used to, but now live in an area with no significant snow. I run very aggressive performance tires year round. They aren’t as sticky in 20 degree weather, but the car is well-balanced enough that it’s not a problem. For my needs, all-season tires are unsuitable in any season and I always recommend snow tires for those who experience more than ten inches of snow over the course of the Winter. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860/33 "2013-01-03T00:43:22Z")
In the province of Quebec (just 40 miles north of us), snow tires are required by law for residents. If you live elsewhere, you don’t need to buy and mount snows to travel there, but residents have to have them. We live in snow country, in the mountains. Snows with studs. As noted above, in flat snow country, you can get away with all seasons - if you don’t do much driving out of town. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860/34 "2013-01-03T05:33:01Z")
I voted no, but only because there was no option for “what’s a season?” South Florida. We don’t do seasons. Unless you mean “Hurricane” and Dry". -D/a ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860/35 "2013-01-03T05:58:12Z")
No. I live in Los Angeles. Some brief research seems to indicate that the last time it snowed here was in 1954, for a grand total of a third of an inch. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860/36 "2013-01-03T06:01:55Z")
> [@chizzuk](#): > > No. I live in Los Angeles. Some brief research seems to indicate that the last time it snowed here was in 1954, for a grand total of a third of an inch. San Fernando Valley 1987. Maybe 1/2". Woke the kids up early so they could see it. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860/37 "2013-01-03T06:12:28Z")
I’ve never bought snow tires, but every winter I swear I will next year. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860/38 "2013-01-03T06:34:31Z")
I don’t just change tires, I change wheels. It cost me $160 at the wreckers to get an extra set of rims. That way I can make the change myself twice a year (takes me 20 minutes) saving lots of money in tire changes at the tire place. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860/39 "2013-01-03T07:10:09Z")
> [@Laggard](#): > > 30 northern wisconsin winters and have never had snow tires. Even my dad who has been driving since 1954 quit buying snow tires back in the seventies. I used to think like this, but then I bought a set of Nokians. The snow tires of the 70s are absolutely nothing like the winter tires of today. Back then, snow tires just meant an open tread pattern. Now they’re exotic tread compounds that somehow stick to ice. Seriously, try to walk on it and you’ll land on your ass, but the car will stop just fine. They’re not actually that great in snow (so if you live in the sticks, you should still go with the 4x4 with open tread pattern snow tires), but they’re practically magic on ordinary icy slick streets. Sure it might cost you $1000-1500 for a second set of (cheapass steel) rims and the tires themselves, but if you’re keeping your vehicle for the life of the tires you’re not actually paying more for the rubber as you’re only driving on one set at a time. And they only have to decrease your stopping distance once, that one critical time, to easily pay for the hassle of swapping wheels twice a year. Was driving a friend to lunch in my little hatchback after a nasty snowfall and streets were still utterly crap. He customarily drives a bigass Ram 4x4, but is too cheap to spring for winter tires. I gunned it a bit (on a busy 6-lane street) to demonstrate the tires and he damn near crapped his pants. I will never be without top-ranked winter tires again, until I retire to someplace warm. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860/40 "2013-01-03T07:17:11Z")
I live in Southern California. Pray tell, what are these “seasons” you speak of? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-change-tires-for-the-season/645860.md?page=3)