Winters Off?

[sailor723]

A couple of posts over in the weather thread have got me thinking. When do you plan to take off your winter tires? I'm thinking next weekend if the forecast for the following week stays clear. I know it's a little early but I hate to think what all this +10 weather is doing to my Blizzaks

[airbalancer]

I think it is early
There usually a storm in early April
Just my feeling

[tpl]

Week after Easter for the GTI   One week later for the Fit

[EV Dan]

Don't use them myself and on the dad's car we took them off last weekend. Too warm in GTA even for all-seasons 

[Careener]

Due to the mild Winter I only put them on right before a trip to Tremblant in late Jan.
I will probably swap them in late April at my as part of my 6 month maintenance interval.   

[Loudpedal]

I'm resisting the urge.  I'll stick with my usual first weekend of April.  I'm not looking forward to a GTA to Ottawa run next week with sunny skies and +10 though...    

[PJungnitsch]

Leave mine on all year, like the last ten. 

[Schmengie]

With the amount of snow and the warm weather we've had, I probably could've left the snow tires in storage for the winter. As it is, I took them off around the first of March but had to put them back on again for an unexpected trip to the Kootenays. (Hint - NEVER do that this time of year unless you absolutely have to. )

I just finished putting the alloy wheels and summer tires back on the Versa. I don't plan on any more trips through the mountains for a while and it's sure nice to have a quiet car again.

It was a nice day, so I cleaned 'er up a bit too.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Since you all are waiting until April (and I would too in normal weather), think I'll change mine this week to beat the rush

[dr_spock]

I change my own.  Therefore, I can wait until I'm sure there is no more snowing in the forecast.

[2hondas1BMW]

Ours are off! It GREAT to feel the road again!

[overtakeyouintheleftlane]

Possibily tommorow if I choose not to work. If not, I'll see what the weather is like this weekend coming up. I want them off soon.

[Stuff]

I noticed the long-term forecast in my area has a high of 14C. Is if safe to run winter tires at that temperature?

[Schmengie]

I noticed the long-term forecast in my area has a high of 14C. Is if safe to run winter tires at that temperature?

 IIRC winter tires are optimized for best performance at temperatures below around +5 or 6C. To accomplish that they use a much softer than normal rubber compound so the tire remains flexible in cold weather. The warmer it gets, the softer the rubber gets and the more quickly the tire wears out.

 It didn't seem like very long ago when it was normal for even the best snow tires to 'flat-spot' if the car was left parked in the cold for any length of time. I remember bumping along for a few blocks before the tires got round again.

 Safety shouldn't be a problem, but summer highway use might be another story.

[blur911]

I'd have to say the choice to change depends on what's coming off and what's going on.  If you have high-performance winters such as a Dunlop Wintersport and are putting on summer high-performance tires, wait a few more weeks or you'll be immobilized if we get a few flurries. 

If like in our case, with Dunlop Graspic DS-3 siped-to-the-hilt full tread depth winter tires and almost-all-season TripleTreds going back on the Outback...   I think I'll change them next weekend, or even sooner if the forecast gets any warmer.

Of course YMMV, Canada is a big country.  Kingston doesn't get a lot of winter.

[airbalancer]

 Kingston doesn't get a lot of winter.

They way the wind blows in Kingston, it can feel a heck of a lot cold there then in Cobourg.
And Kingston has a lot of hot air , with all the government offices there 

[blizzard35]

The forecast up here in Northern Ontario today is a high of +15 C.  We have been +7 C for almost two weeks, however the long range forecast is calling for "SNOW" on Friday.....I'll do like I always do and take my snows off the first week in May, unless the weather really does crap out....after all, this is Northern Ontario, where we have had snow in July!!!!

[overtakeyouintheleftlane]

Went to work today, so I'm not changing them, I'll likely do them after Easter instead. Who knows what will happens with the weather.

[Bullet Blue]

I'd have to say the choice to change depends on what's coming off and what's going on.  If you have high-performance winters such as a Dunlop Wintersport and are putting on summer high-performance tires, wait a few more weeks or you'll be immobilized if we get a few flurries. 

This is exactly my situation and why I'm trying to convince myself to hold off for another week or two. But the long range forcast is saying sunny in the 8 to 10 degree range. I miss my 18s!

[Guy]

Took the winter's off yesterday. I keep them close by just in case. It takes about 30 minutes to change them out.