Winter Tires
Deciding when to put snow tires onto your car will be down to various factors but the main factors that will make the decision for you is common sense, the weather itself and legal enforcement.
Many states will have specific dates for when snow tires need to be installed and this date is legally binding, telling the officer the weathers not so bad at the moment isn't going to get you off the hook. There are also other countries around the world, Sweden, Norway, Croatia to name a few which also have a set dates when tires must be legally installed onto any vehicle going onto or using a public highway.
This is fine if the weather is good up to this date, but there's no point in waiting for this date to install these tires if there is 50cm of snow outside your house, obviously you will want to install these tires at the first sign of or warning about bad weather.
If you are fortunate enough to be able to keep a spare set of wheels with a dedicated set of winter tires in your garage then this will save you time and money in the long run as it will be far more convenient and save waiting time at garages because you can fit them at your own convenience when needed and not join the rush by everyone else to get them changed at the same time. Keeping a spare set means, if not legally required, you can also change them several times during the winter season if they are not needed, saving wear and tear, and also you don't have the cost of paying the local garage a fee to change them to winter tires and then back again at the end of the season.
tires are a far better option than 'All season' tires as they are made from a much softer compund of rubber and retain their flexibility and thus give much extra needed grip and traction. Also the tread of winter tires is cut deeper and different to all season tires, again allowing much more grip and reduces the chances of getting stuck and skidding.
When you install your snow tires onto your car will come down to either a legal obligation or one of common sense, if you know that the snow is coming and that driving conditions will be difficult and demanding then it would be sensible to fit them. Ask yourself what kind of shoes do you wear when outside waliking in the snow ? Running shoes or a good pair of boots ? Why not ask yourself the same about the tires you really need to have on your car - shoes or boots ?
