How to Drive Like it’s 90 and Sunny, when it’s 20 and Snowing

It’s October in Ohio and while football, bonfires, and raking leaves are on everyone’s mind the guys at the tire shop are thinking about keeping you going through the nasty winter weather.  Actually they’re thinking about their next vacation, but that’s not why you’re here.  What is the best way to get through the weather safely in the rain, sleet and snow?  Winter tires, a nice name for what your parents called snow tires. Read More

Back in the 70’s snow tires looked and drove like tires that would allow you to go off-roading in the deep woods and high hills.  They were loud.  My dad used to say, “The louder the better.”  In his opinion if they weren’t loud, there was no way you could get through the snow in them.

But today, winter tire technology is superior compared to the design of the tires on dad’s 1971 Impala.  Today’s tire manufacturers make tires that perform better in cold temperatures as well.  They are made from a compound that grips the road better when the temperature drops below 45 degrees.  In addition to better performance, they obviously cut through the snow much better than their all season counterparts.  As my racecar driving friend Shane says, “all season is no season.”  All major tire manufacturers make winter tires.  And you can find them everywhere.  We sell them, and I’ll bet your neighborhood tire shop sells them as well.

It is also a good idea to install a narrower tire than what you run on your car in the summer.  Wider tires perform better around curves and corners in dry conditions.  Narrower tires cut through the snow more easily.  To install a narrower tire on you vehicle you typically do what is called plus sizing.  For instance, if you have a P205/55R16 on your vehicle in the summer, you may have P195/65R15 in the winter.  The 195 is the width of the tire in millimeters.  You move to a 15″ wheel (The R15 in the size) in the winter as well, so your tire will be very close to the same diameter, as the tires you run in the summer.

Last year, the winter in Ohio was brutal, and the snow was deep.  I was able to drive to work on the highway easily and at the recommended speed limit, in snow that was up to 6” deep.  While our friends with the all season tires were either:

1. Off the road waiting for a tow truck
2. At home digging their car out of a snow drift
3. At the tire shop replacing their tires

Typically in Ohio winter tires should be installed in mid November, and removed in Mid April. Or whenever the temperature drops consistently below or above the 45 degree mark.  So this means you have two sets of tires, a summer set, and a winter set.  Does it really snow enough in Ohio to warrant changing your tires every six months?  It’s hard to say if it’s right for everyone, but for my money and the safety of my family, they are worth the investment.