The 7°C rule
Summer and all season tires use a rubber compound that gets hard as it gets cold. Somewhere around 7°C it starts losing grip, even on dry pavement. Winter tires use a softer compound that stays flexible well below freezing, and a tread pattern built to bite into snow and slush.
So the trigger is not the first snowfall. It is when the daytime highs settle below 7°C. In Ottawa that usually lands in late October or the first half of November.
The rules
Ontario
Winter tires are not required in Ontario. But since 2016, Ontario insurance companies have had to offer a discount to drivers who put winter tires on. It is usually a few percent. Call your insurer and ask.
Quebec
If your car is registered in Quebec, winter tires are the law from December 1 to March 15. Plenty of our customers live in Gatineau and work in Ottawa, so it comes up a lot. The tires need the mountain and snowflake symbol on the sidewall.
Why all seasons are not enough here
All season tires are really three season tires in a city that sees minus 25. On cold, hard packed snow and ice, a good winter tire can stop a car in a noticeably shorter distance. That is often the difference between a close call and a fender bender at the bottom of a hill.
All weather tires are a real option too. They carry the mountain and snowflake symbol and can stay on year round. They wear faster in summer and are not quite as good as a dedicated winter tire in deep cold, but they save you the changeover.
When to switch back
Winter tires wear quickly on warm, dry pavement. Once the overnight lows stay above freezing, usually in April, it is time to swap back. Leaving winters on all summer can take a whole season off their life.
How to skip the rush
Every year the first snow forecast sends half the city to book a changeover in the same week. Book two or three weeks ahead of that. Leave your off season set with us in storage for $90 and it becomes one short visit. Book online or call (613) 745-0004.
Check your tires before the switch
Winter tires need more tread than summer tires to work. Once they get down to about 5/32 of an inch (4 mm), they lose a lot of their snow grip even though they are still legal. Put a toonie in the tread: if the tread reaches the bear's paws, you are in decent shape. We check tread depth at every changeover.
