Topic: Southern Ontario - When to Remove Snow Tires

[RunsinLight]

This is my first year using snow tires and I was looking for some recommendations on the appropriate times for removing them. I'd like to get the summer ones on as soon as possible. I was thinking around the 3rd week of March?

[dr_spock]

I usually take mine off some time in April. 

[sailor723]

I usually take mine off about a week before the last big storm of the season

[Squishy]

I take them off when TheWeatherNetwork tells me the next 14 days will all be above zero.

[tpl]

When daytime highs will be consistently >7 Celsius

[Squishy]

When daytime highs will be consistently >7 Celsius

Is that figure taken from a study somewhere?

[Careener]

Mid April - there usually is one last dump in late March or early April.

[sailor723]

When daytime highs will be consistently >7 Celsius

Is that figure taken from a study somewhere?

I believe 7* Celsius is the tempurature below which Summer and All season tire rubber compounds start to get hard and lose performance. (according to the tire manufacturers)

[tpl]

Correct.   My BMW summers are very "summery"  ( Yoko Es100) so I might wait a week after that temperature appears. The FIT has all seasons as summers so I could go a week early.
Changing all 8 in one afternoon leads to back ache and creaky joints 

[wing]

When daytime highs will be consistently >7 Celsius

Is that figure taken from a study somewhere?

Sailor is correct, 7 degrees is the temperature where all-seasons start to lose grip.  So until it's above that consistently you should leave the winters on.

[Squishy]

Thanks, good to know.  I just remember reading that it was "somewhere around the freezing mark," hence why I used to wait for temperatures above zero.

[Spheric]

My neighbours have been running on summer tires all winter (IS 250 AWD). 

[mrthompson]

I was a bit late getting the winters off last spring - it was mid May.  By the end of April is what I aim for usually.

[Allen]

My neighbours have been running on summer tires all winter (IS 250 AWD). 

Nothing wrong with that if you live in the Toronto area.. I have never run anything but AS since moving from Montreal in the 70's and have never had an issue

[quadzilla]

My neighbours have been running on summer tires all winter (IS 250 AWD). 

Nothing wrong with that if you live in the Toronto area.. I have never run anything but AS since moving from Montreal in the 70's and have never had an issue

There is if they drive when there is snow/ice on the roads. I'm tired of waiting for people to try and start on an incline, sliding through stop signs/lights, etc.

I no longer help push stuck cars that are not equipped with winter tires.

To the subject, Mine come off sometime in late April/early May.

[Allen]

I'm tired of waiting for people to try and start on an incline, sliding through stop signs/lights, etc.

I'd advocate that that has more to do with the driver than the tires...

[sailor723]

That might be true in some cases but all things being equal if you're trying to drive in winter conditions without winter tires you're more apt to be part of the problem.

[Squishy]

I'm tired of waiting for people to try and start on an incline, sliding through stop signs/lights, etc.

I'd advocate that that has more to do with the driver than the tires...

That might be true in some cases but all things being equal if you're trying to drive in winter conditions without winter tires you're more apt to be part of the problem.

I agree with both of you guys.  1/3 times when someone is stuck I can get them out just by asking to take a shot at the driver's seat.  And when someone with all-seasons gets stuck I give them a dirty look and tell them they need winter tires, but I still push them out because we're nice country folk.

But then, the IS is AWD so you can't give them dirty looks until after they slide into you.

[Schmengie]

My understanding is that when the temperature is consistently above 5 degrees C the softer compounding of winter tires combined with bare roads will cause them to wear VERY quickly, and below that so-called all season tires will become hard and lose traction.

I usually switch over by the end of March.

[raze7777]

I take my winters off the first week in March.  At that point any snow we get is cleared up fast (save for the big dumping this year in Toronto) - and even then, the next days are usually mild and the roads are bare.  I think the wear on my winters holding them onto mid-April, May is not worth it.

After I drove with Michelin Artic Alpins from London to Kingston in 7C weather only to see excessive wear after arriving, I am a believer in removing snow tires when things start creeping over freezing.