When To Put On Snow Tires – Why Should You Use it?

The car owners often ask that when to put on snow tires or when to put on winter tires. And once they get the answer, they ask that they can use the winter tire year throughout or not since they have to mount the snow and winter tire every year.

Well, in order to give you these questions’ answers, I am writing this article. In this article, I am going to write about what is this winter tire or ice tire or snow tire? When to use it? Another most important question is, why you should use these tires? And of course, can you use it throughout the year or not.

To know the answers, you have to read the entire article. So without further talk, let’s get started.

What is Snow Tire or Winter Tire?

The snow tire is, no matter it is studded or stud-less, is a kind of tire that is specially designed to maintain a better grip/traction on slushy, icy and snow road and most importantly in extreme cold. The rubber, with which the tire is made of, has the ability to remain softer that makes the tire even more flexible. This flexibility allows it to conform better to the road in extreme cold situation.

Does this feature make the tire special for the winter season? Not at all. Along with this feature, the tire has deeper tread depths as well as specialized tread designs which make this snow tire so special for the winter season and extreme cold condition.

What Makes Snow Tires Different? – Why Should You Use it?

The main is that the snow tire that is specially designed to maintain a better performance on slushy, icy and snow road and most importantly in the extreme cold I mean below 7 degree Celsius that will help you by improving braking, traction, and overall handling of your vehicle.

It is basically the opposite of all-season/snow tire. When the weather is so cold and below 7 degree Celsius, these all-season tires/ summer tires start becoming harder. This is similar to water that freezes in the winter. And once it becomes harder, it makes the tire less effective. You will lose the traction of your tire and thus lose the control of your car while driving on the road. Winter tire solves these problems.

Other than that, without proper controlling, you can face a serious accident. This is a great risk for you as well as other passengers in your car and of course for other drivers on the road. That is why you should use snow tires as well.

When To Put on Snow Tires on Your Vehicle?

Well, it is not that easy to answer. It depends on a few things. It depends on the tire type you have installed in your car, it depends on the brand of the tire of your car as well. But if I tell you a general term, then the best time to change the tire into snow tire is when the temperature starts falling below the 7 degree Celsius.

The reason is simple. As previously mentioned, when the temperature is 7 degree or less, the rubber of the summer or all seasons tires start becoming harder. And when the tire is harder, you cannot get good traction and thus you will not get a good break or good control.

On the other hand, snow tire offers you better traction and better controlling of your car during that extremely low temperature, no matter what country do you live in.

That is why you should be prepared when the temperature is 7 degree Celsius or less, just before the 1st snowfall. This is generally in the before of October, or it slightly varies in countries to countries. Some people mount the winter tire in October as well after the first snowfall.

But I always recommend doing this before snowfall since you do not exactly know when the snowfall will start. And if you stuck in the middle of the road, that will not be a pleasant moment for you for sure.

Why Should You Not Use The Winter Tire Throughout The Year?

Snow tires are specially made for the winter season so that you can get more traction as well as better control. However, what will be the problem if you use the snow tire throughout the year. Here are the things:

The first thing is that the snow tire is more flexible than summer or other all season’s tires. So when the weather is warm, the snow tire wears down very quickly. On the other hand, other tires do not wear down quickly in the summer or other seasons and thus it offers longer wear life.

In addition, snow tire does not provide the same handling in the summer as well as other seasons as it does in winter or cold condition.

Just think about it, you need to make a fast maneuver and you have snow tires that are soft and squishy. You will never get a crisp response from those snow tires. Those winter tires are suitable for winter, not for summer.

That means if you use winter tires all the year, you will not get enough control over the year except winter and the wear life of the tires will be less. This will cost you much more money. So it is a wise decision to use snow tire in the cold season and summer or all seasons’ tires in throughout the year.

You can think this analogy – You have tennis shoes. You can use those tennis shoes in the snow or on the beach, however, won’t this be better to use the flip-flops on the beach and the boots for snow? What do you think? Winter tires are the same. This is like the snow boots for the car.

Don’t Be Confused: Winter or Snow Tires Are For Snow Only?

A lot of people out there who think that snow tires are for snow only, even they call those snow tires now tires.

The truth is that the winter tire should be used when the temperature starts falling. Then the summer tires will not work properly. The winter tires will provide the best grip and thus provide you with better control over your car and this will ensure your safety on not only the slush or ice but also snow. So the snow tires are not only for snow, rather it is for the entire winter season.

Mark it On The Calendar

I know that you will not be waiting for the perfect time of changing the tires. And most people forget about the tire change. And also, they don’t even notice that the temperature starts falling.

That is why you can mark a specific date when you will change the tire every year. This will be your changing tire day. But one thing, you should not just change the tire once the day comes. It is quite possible that this year temperature and the next year temperature will not be the same.

That is why when your changing tire day will come, visit your nearest shop and consult them if it is the time for changing the tire or not.

Final Verdict

I hope after reading this article you have understood when to put on snow tires. Don’t be caught at the middle of the road without the winter tires with snow on the road, throughout and everywhere you can see. This might cost you several days to recover from this situation. That is why it is always recommended changing the tires before the first snowfall.

In some cities, it is mandatory to use snow tires during the cold season. And I think it is a great thing. I am sure you will not want to stick in the middle of the road, right? Thank you for reading this article till the end.

The Grabbable wants you to know that we have tested and made a list of best all season tires for snow and ice. You can choose the right tire for your vehicle to achieve a comfortable riding experience throughout the year. Please let me know if I can help with anything else.

Stay tuned to know more about automotive and gears at thegrabbable.com. Ride Safe!