My Google searching skills must be off…way off. I'd been trying for days to find an authoritative recommendation for when to switch from summer (actually All-Season) tires to snow tires.
I just couldn't find anything other than the usual forum drivel. But then Tire Rack sent me instructions with the new winter tires I ordered and voila! An answer!
Seems that once the air temperature stays consistently below 45F, it's time to switch the tires. Apparently — and I liked this logic — the compounds on winter tires stay softer at lower temperatures. Becoming more rigid is what makes summer and All-Season tires less effective in the snow. But, if you put winter tires on too early, they're so soft they just melt away.
Lest you think I have hit rock bottom on blogging ideas, I want to tell you that I actually find this scintillating. No excuses…I'm into tire tech. Far from being lowly pieces of rubber, my flirtations with track days have taught me that very little is more important than the tires.
So, now you know. And, admit it…just to yourself…don't you feel at least a little smarter?
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