Topic: When is the best time to switch to summer tires

[Sandrock]

Hi everybody.  I am kind of new here in Calgary and winter weather.  During this winter I installed a set of winter tires to my van.  Now that Spring is just around the corner, may I know what you will advice as the best time to switch from winter tires to summer tires?

[mdxtasy]

I'm in Calgary, I do it at the end of March or early April at the latest.

[random006]

Welcome to the Forum and winter, BTW! 

One of our Calgarian members will be along shortly to give you specific advice no doubt but in the meantime, a good rule of thumb would be mid-April for most of the southern half of the country.  By that time, winter is either gone or nearly so.

By summer tires, do you mean all-season or actual summer only tires?  I would imagine that would affect the timing a bit.

[random006]

Dang, Md!  You beat me to it! 

[UmroAyyar]

He's in Calgary, much closer.  Welcome to the forum Sandrock. What do you drive? What tires do you have on your drive?

[mdxtasy]

The summer car with summer tires won't probably see daily use until April. 

[Sandrock]

Thanks!  Would it make sense to switch to summer tire on the day Spring is official, say March 21?  I am eyeing this set of wheels that are on clearance sale and I am getting anxious to get it and put it on right away lest somebody else buys it ahead of me.

By summer tires, I mean the all season kind ("HR" Falken Ziek S/TZ 01).  Or so says the guy where I am buying them from.

Crazy at it may sound, I am planning on putting these Falken on a 17" Evo 10 wheels on my Dodge Grand Caravan.  I currently have a set of Nokian on my stock rims.  I intend to keep those winter tires on stock ones and get a new set of wheel and tire for summer, hence the new set.

[Arthur Dent]

April is usually my timing. If you have the rims in hand why not get the tires mounted and balanced on them now. Then just jack up each corner of the minivan and swap the tire when the time is right?

[ovr50]

Hi everybody.  I am kind of new here in Calgary and winter weather.  During this winter I installed a set of winter tires to my van.  Now that Spring is just around the corner, may I know what you will advice as the best time to switch from winter tires to summer tires?

Welcome, Sandrock, to the Forum.

As you are in Calgary (I used to live there so I know), you can switch anytime from January to June, depending on the particular year.... It can snow anytime.

On a serious note, do what MdX5 does and you'll be OK. The occasional snow storm after early April is probably not worth worrying over - but it can dump on you then. I've seen it.

[Sandrock]

Thanks for the welcome, and thanks to everybody for the advices!  Coming from a tropical country where all I have to contend with is the sun and the seasonal rain, this snow stuff is new to me, and I have so much to learn! 

I shall heed your advices.  I will probably have the rims and tires balanced and then put them on once the time is right.

[safristi]

Hey Sand and ista  yer best with those all things to all men at all times tyres in ALBERTA.........I got Fragged wif Snow in Sept..there.....

[Titanium48]

Ah, spring in Calgary.  A time when the probability of winter weather slowly decreases and the probability of summer weather slowly increases.  Trouble is, either can happen at any time between early March and late May.  Go ahead and buy your wheels and summer tires.  Just be prepared to swap them back for a while if (or more likely when) it snows again.  Maybe next week.  Maybe next month.  Maybe May long weekend.  Maybe not till next fall.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

I'm waiting till the temps are consistently above +8dC, since my normal tires are summer tires and become hard/less grippy. Likely mid April for me.

If your regular Caravan tires are all-seasons, which I presume they are, you're probably fine changing anytime. They're less effective in the snow and ice, but will do the job. You may want to keep them on till April just to alternate wear between your summers and winters and extend the life of both, but they're likely priced similarly so doesn't really matter.

[morty]

You probably cant nail down a hard date. Escpecially with the extremes we all have been seeing. I would be watching the weather and when you get a nice trend for warmer temps then it is time to change. Basically..I like sirAQUAMAN64's answer.

[mdxtasy]

You probably cant nail down a hard date. Escpecially with the extremes we all have been seeing. I would be watching the weather and when you get a nice trend for warmer temps then it is time to change. Basically..I like sirAQUAMAN64's answer.

With all season tires going onto the van, is it that big of a concern?  The MDX will have the A/S tires go on, and it should be okay to do the job....but freezing rain can be an issue.

[safristi]

You probably cant nail down a hard date..

...can't SAY IT any BETTER

[mdxtasy]

You probably cant nail down a hard date..

...can't SAY IT any BETTER

But the easy ones....

[Trainman]

I have to drive to the Kelowna airport for a trip to TO in early April.  The winters will come off when I get back.

Probably do the van the same time or just keep the current winters on for the summer and get new winters in October (the stock Dunlops are not much good any more but do have a tiny bit of tread left.  Decisions, decisions       )

[ppl4golf]

Don't need to change this summer with Nokian WR - hehe

[quadzilla]

I have to drive to the Kelowna airport for a trip to TO in early April.  The winters will come off when I get back.

Are you going to have any free time while you are here?  Maybe we should have a mini-CTC get together?

I'll switch mine sometime in April also...no hurry as we only drive on weekends.  Might head to Quebec for Easter and you never know what weather you will get.