Ensuring that your Toyota is prepared for winter weather is paramount for safe year-round driving. Perhaps the most important factor in winter driving is a good set of winter tires. While it may be a hassle to swap tires with each season, the benefits of good winter tires compared to summer or all-season tires are significant and noticeable through driving. 

When To Put Winter Tires

But when should you make the switch to winter tires? Most experts will recommend that you install winter tires when the temperature regularly hits under 45 degrees Fahrenheit, or 7 degrees Celsius. For the Lethbridge area, this typically means that you should consider putting your winter tires on around the beginning of November.

Why Are Winter Tires Better

Dedicated winter tires provide many advantages when compared to either summer tires or all-season tires. 

The most apparent difference will be the varying tread patterns. All-season and summer tires will have much shallower tread patterns, conducive to better grip on dry surfaces and less road noise overall. On the other hand, winter tires will have more and deeper treads. This allows the tire to better grab hold of a road covered in snow and ice.

Another important distinction is rubber composition. Winter tires are made of a different rubber composition than summer or all-season tires. This rubber is softer and fairs better in cold weather than the other compositions. The rubber used for summer and all-season tires is not as soft and elastic. This makes them a great choice for warmer weather as they’ll have more grip than winter tires, but in the wintertime, the tires can actually become brittle and start to crack. The temperature at which this degradation can start to occur is around 45 degrees Fahrenheit, which is why the recommended time for you to switch to winter tires is based on temperature. 

Put On Your Winter Tires At Lethbridge Toyota

Whenever the time is right, don’t hesitate to bring your Toyota over to our Lethbridge dealer. Our team of tire experts can have new winter tires installed fast and at a good price.