As the season’s change, so should your car! Preparing your car to work in winter weather is essential to your safety. As the rain, sleet, and snow start coming, it’s important to keep your tires in tip-top shape. Winter tires and all-season tires are both viable options when preparing your vehicle for the colder weather. But what’s the difference between the two? In this article, we’ll outline both winter and all-season tires and which would be better for you.

Winter Tires

Winter tires are specially formulated to work in harsh winter conditions. This means that winter tires excel at navigating through snow, sleet, and other freezing temperatures. As the temperature drops, the weather affects the tread on rubber tires, making them less pliable and more susceptible to skidding. Around 45°F (7°C), the rubber on regular tires becomes less effective. Winter tires are made of a more flexible rubber that doesn’t get affected by the cold temperatures, making them perfect for traveling through snow. Winter tires also have a deeper tread depth and biting edges, making it easier to avoid snow buildup and easier to drive on ice.

All-Season Tires

Most vehicles are outfitted with all-season tires when they leave the factory. All-season tires are formatted to work in a variety of weather elements, such as rain, heat, and snow. Although this is a blanket remedy, meaning that all-season tires do not excel in harsher elements. This means that all-season tires work best in mild-weather conditions, such as rain and light snow. All-season tires offer a moderate tread depth, a longer tread life, and performs well in wet and dry conditions.

So, Which is Best?

It really depends on what weather you encounter the most of! If you live in an area that sees extreme winters that carry a lot of snow, winter tires are best for you. If you live in an area that has mild winter conditions, then all-season tires would work best for you.

If you’d like to schedule a service appointment to get new tires for your vehicle, please visit our website!