I know it depends on where you are located, but I am curious when you switch to winter tires from summer performance tires. I know that the summer tires don't perform well when the temperature drops, not just when there is snow or ice on the roads. I live in the midwest (St. Louis area).

 

I try to wait until the temperature starts consistently dropping below freezing at night. I have a second job with late hours though, if I didn't drive late at night a lot I might wait longer. Looks like that will be mid Nov this year.

 

immediately after i change my underwear that first cold/snowy/icey morning

scott

 

Typically Thanksgiving weekend since I have some extra time off (I swap to my winter set of rims in my garage).

But I don't yet have snows for my MCS, I'll order them after getting back from MINIs in the Ozarks this weekend and get them on sooner than that, this time.

Swap back 2nd weekend of April, earlier if it goes to warm Spring weather ahead of time (as it did in 2012).

 

I watch the 10 day forcasts and do it before the first threat of snow, or when
am temps are consistently less than about 35 degrees F.

Some summer tires are worse in the cold than others.
For instance, I would change my previous Bridgestone S-03 Pole Position tires below 40F,
but my current Dunlop SP SportMaxx at below 35F, as they don't go hard quite as quickly.

Some tires, the Toyo Proxes R1R for instance, can even suffer cracking and irreversible changes
in tread compound characteristics if stored at temps less than 15F.

 

I have the stock RE050a tire in 205/45-17 on my MCS and the wet handling on them is terrible in the wet at anything less than like 45-50F. It's like ice skating. The Yoko S.Drives I had on my last car were similarly compromised in the wet at around that temp. There's nothing but 50s from next weekend out for my area after this coming weekend, so I'll change them out for 16s and blizaks then.

--Matt

 

Here in central Mass... my dates are Black Friday they go on, April Fools they come off

 

I'm in the hills in western Mass, I was planning on waiting for the weather man to tell me that it's going to snow before I pull them out.
It's only a 15 minute job in the driveway, so I'm not too worried

 

The snow tires are already mounted so they are ready to go any time. Here in Southern New England we usually don't see anything before Thanksgiving.

The OP is right that summer tires definitely lack traction in cooler temperatures. True snow tires are the answer. Do not waste your money on 'all-seasons' as they do nothing well. Narrower is also better for snow or ice. If you can use smaller rims they add an extra margin of safety when encountering potholes. I drop from a 205/50VR16 summer tire to a 185/65R15 winter tire. These are close enough in diameter that the speedo still reads correctly.

 

Never. With AWD and all-season tires, I've never done seasonal tire swaps in the 20 years I've lived in Colorado.

 

Never here also. Clubman stays in the garage if there is freezing precip on the road or falling. I am fortunate to have another vehicle that is a 4x4 and big, nothing has stopped it yet.

 

In Arkansas? Never. If it snows, I just wont drive the Mini that day (snow rarely lasts more than a day here). Although I am considering switching my stock run flats to some Michelin all season tires.

 

In Germany the rule of thumb was when temperatures consistently stay below 40 degrees. Too warm and you will burn the tires down. Wait too long and you will the summer rubber will be to hard for good traction. Remember, it isn't about snow on the ground. Summer rated tires lose traction because the compound used gets to hard around 40, so get them changed out if you are seeing those cold numbers all day long.

 

Thanks to all for the informative posts. I think I will put my mounted Blizzaks on around the first of December and probably take them off around the first of April. I have a Ram 1500 4X4 to drive when I know it is likely to snow or the roads are icy. The reason I got the winter tires and wheels was because of the reduced traction of summer tires in cold weather and for situations when the weather unexpectedly gets bad while I am at work. I have a 30 mile commute one way. I also didn't want all seasons since they are a compromise both in summer and winter.

 

Im usually w/ Tarbot on the timing, around Thanksgiving and then 3rd week of March or April Fools's. I also agree with Bilbo completely, my first experience w/ front-drive was my 92 Pontiac GP 5 spd (which I still own, 20 yrs old now, 186K) and I got stuck in my own driveway the first winter I owned it (steep uphill). I was beyond livid and knew there had to be a better answer but wasn't really familiar w/ how snow tires had advanced at the time (first winter in the PA foothills) so I started reading. And reading. And reading some more. Did I mention I did some reading? And the Blizzaks were rated on top, so I jumped and bought 2 just to try them out. The next time it snowed I swore somebody had jacked up the car overnite and installed 4WD. I was passing stuck Audis, Blazers, 4Runners, Ford 150s, just about anything. A street car with dedictated snow tires will outperform any AWD with supposed "4-seasons" until the chassis packs in and you end up high-centered. There is still no substitute for floorpan height when it comes to ridiculously deep snow, but until then, I'll see your AWD and raise you 4 Bridgestones.

My 05 Pathfinder was 2WD (rear drive)(traded for the Clubbie) and I got through '10s "snowmaggedon" without getting stuck once and can prob count how many times the 'trac active' lamp illuminated. If you live anywhere but the South, they're not even a consideration. Dont think, just buy, it may save your car or your life. And whats the safety of your family worth?

 

BTW jhull, I like Rupert. Same reason I named mine Nigel.

 

A lot depends on WHAT you use as a summer tire....i actually a UHP allseason...so a cold day or tiny bit of snow is not an issue...gets me an extra few weeks spring and fall with my fun tires....but still need snows to really get anywhere....i do loose a bit of max grip, but to be 100% honest, it might be a good thing in a mini NOT to drive that hard knowi g how hard i can drive with the uhp's!!!
Since uhp tires perform ok compared to pure summer tires in cold , i usually look at comming storms....so in nh i usually wait till a week or two after holloween..so around thanksgiving.....the oddball storm might happen....but the wifes truck is around!!

 

My summer tires are Bridgestone Turanza ER 300-02 RFT.

 

I usually do it around Thanksgiving time.

 

The forecast is calling for snow next week, so I'm sticking with this week :-P

--Matt

 

Regardless of whether or not it snows, snowtires have a larger amount of silica in the rubber. This allows the rubber to stay soft in cold temperatures.

Summer tires are soft in warm temps, but get very hard when the temperatures get cold, even brittle. When they are hard, they do not grip the road and if you have a flatspot on your tire, you will feel it.

Winter tires stay soft when it is cold, but when the temperatures get warm, the tires get too soft and wear very quickly.

My personal rule of thumb, if the temperature in your area falls below 45F (7C) as the daytime warm temperature, then it's time to switch over to winter tires. In the spring, when it gets above, then switch back to your summer tires.

All season tires are a compromise tire all around. You don't get ultimate dry grip, nor ultimate wet/snow traction. But if you are not that spirited a driver and are mostly within the parameters of "safe" driving, and you don't really get much snow where you are, you should be fine.

Having said that, I have inexpensive Nexen-Eurowin snowtires for my MINI and do go skiing and through snow. I've had them for 6 years now and the tire dealer inspected them at the end of last winter and thinks I still have a year on them. I have never gotten stuck in snow, or found myself wanting for traction with these tires on my MINI in the winter.

 

Okay, the 10 day weather forecast for St. Louis says high temps in the mid to high 40s starting on Black Friday. Looks like my winters will go on this weekend. With my luck, the temp will jump into the 80s as soon as I do.

 

This thread opens my eyes to the rest of the country (and world). Living in SW FL, I am currently shopping for my next set of summer tires and they need to go on soon as my stock tires are well past the wear bars at 17k miles. I guess instead of the trendy labeling of "First World Problems" I could call this a Warm World Problem. This week has been colder than average with a high of 73-75 and a low in the mid 50s. Sorry guys...had to.

 

I should probably put mine on soon...

 

Still no snow in the forcast and no sub 30 degree mornings forcast, so still on my summer tires.
My Dunlop SportMaxx's aren't too awfully hard at 35 degrees, so they're ok for now.
My wife's General Exclaim UHP's are ok for now, too
(technically say M+S on those, but are marketed as summer tires and are NOT good in snow).
My previous summer tires (BS Pole Position S-03s) got pretty hard in the tread below
40 degrees and would have come off by now if I still had them.