Temperatures are beginning to warm, we’re getting rain instead of snow, and the sun has been warming our skin a little more often as of late. So you might be wondering – when should I switch out snow tires and swap them for my all-season tires? It’s a valid question, and one you have to consider – keeping your snow tires on too long when winter disappears into a sold spring can damage the tires and make them much less effective when temperatures drop again next year. Living in Colorado, you probably already know this, but there’s really no solid answer. The weather patterns determine more than the calendar, but here are a few rules of thumb to consider.
Spring In Full Bloom
It’s technically spring, but we don’t like to use that as our mile marker here. Anyone who has lived in Colorado long enough knows that the start of spring usually means we’re in for at least a few more solid snow storms, and when they strike you’re going to want those snow tires firmly in place. However, when the average temperatures are 45-50 and above consistently, it’s likely safe to make the swap. But just remember, when we say consistently, we’re talking rarely a day where the high dips below those numbers. If you’re seeing 40s on the horizon, keep the snow tires on, you’ll thank yourself later.
Mother’s Day
Usually, around Mother’s Day, it’s a pretty safe bet that those snowy days are behind us. Mid-May is a good time frame to keep in mind, though there may be years where it makes sense to swap them out earlier, but in general, when you realize you almost forgot to send your mama something fantastic is a good time to switch out snow tires and put them away for another couple of seasons.
Turning on Those Sprinklers
There’s a certain point in the spring, usually a little closer to summer, when you’re no longer afraid to leave your sprinkler systems on automatic timing. Rather than manually turning them on and off when needed and when the weather allows, you can freely set it and forget it without fearing frozen or bursting pipes. When you hit that glorious, summer-is-coming moment, you can also feel good about changing your tires.
There isn’t a one-size fits all formula for when the ultimate best time switch out snow tires and pop on the all-season ones for the remainder of the year, but these guidelines should help you feel more confident in your timing, and help you avoid making an early call that leaves you skidding around without proper traction when that late-season snowstorm hits unexpectedly. If you find yourself in an unfortunate early-tire-switch-caused crash, don’t worry, we can help get your car back in shape and get you back on the road quickly, with extraordinarily high-quality auto body repair work.
