It’s officially time to say goodbye to summer altogether. It might be a sore subject for some but as the summer tans fade and the warm summer air fades into a chilly breeze, we have to come to terms with the fact that winter is coming. It might be a little bit of a stretch this early on but it’s the first week of October and before we know it the snow will be here. It might be time for you to switch those summer tires to winter tires and get your vehicle prepared for the winter months ahead of us! If you thinking to yourself “I have to change my tires for the winter,” I’m going to take the guess that you’ve never had winter tires. There is a lot of debate on whether winter tires are better than all-season tires, or if you really need to change them at all. Unsure what you should do check out the info below and make an informed decision.

The basics about winter tires:

• Winter tires, marked with a snowflake symbol, are made with special low-temperature resilient rubber compounds and have deep treads that grip the unplowed snow, ice and other inclement conditions under your wheels.
• All-season tires, regardless of being branded with M+S for Mud and Snow, might not be suitable in heavy snow.
• Winter tires are important for you and your vehicle’s safety during the winter months; they help keep a better grip on the road to help reduce sliding, skidding, spinning, etc.
• Without the grip, most of your car’s safety functions – like all-wheel drive and anti-lock brakes – can’t do their jobs correctly.

When should you change to winter tires:

• There are no clear answers as to when you should put on your winter tires, mainly because every area is hit by weather at different times and different severities.
• Aim for changing them when the weather worsens, but don’t wait too long!
• The earlier you get them changed, the less waiting at the shop you’ll have to do.
• While you can technically leave winter tires on your wheels year-round, I’d recommend against it.

How to change your tires:

• When you buy winter tires it is suggested that you change the rims
• Doing this will save you tons of time when you need to change them.
• Having a second set of wheels for the winter also means your nice, clean wheels will be protected during the rough weather months.
• Change them the same way you’d change a normal tire
• Be sure to store your other set of tire in a safe area