It’s finally that time of the year—birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and the snow is gone until next winter (probably, hopefully—it’s Michigan, you never know). That means it’s the time when a young/old man’s fancy lightly turns to summer tires.
And because it’s also “procrastinate filing your taxes” season, I have to write about this.
When I lived in Germany, I heard someone mention that the winter tire season there went from “O-bis-O”, meaning Oktober bis Ostern (October to Easter). I try to abide by that guideline, give or take a month or two.
(The main picture above is post-Easter April snow in Freistaat Bayern while still on Pirelli Sottozero 3 tires because I was lazy and lucky.)
The other general rule I’ve also heard is the 45°F (7.2°C) metric. When the temperature is generally below 45°F it’s time for winter tires, and above that go with summer tires. I’ve heard about this 45°F rule from tire manufacturers, car magazines, and most importantly, YouTubers.
I put snow tires into two categories—autobahn snow tires and Nordic snow tires. The autobahn snow tires are usually higher speed rated (H-rated @130 mph/210 kph max, or higher), have good handling capabilities, but are not as grippy on icy conditions. Examples are the Pirelli Sottozero (which I like a lot) and Bridgestone Blizzak LM series.
The Nordic tires prioritize snowy/icy conditions, but usually compromise handling with lower speed ratings (T-rated @118 mph/190 kph, or even lower). They may be studdable. Examples include Michelin X-Ice, Continental VikingContact7, Bridgestone Blizzak WS series, or brands with a lot of Ks in their name.
Continental VikingContact7 winter tires after 1 season
I’m obviously over-generalizing here with my made-up categories, but these are the tendencies for most winter tires. Over the years I’ve gradually shifted over from the autobahn to the Nordic snow tires such as the VikingContact7. I’ve had too many close calls on my commute with people sliding around or into me in winter. I want as much grip as I can get in slick conditions to actively avoid these people.
The compromise I’ve had with these Nordic tires is less grip in the dry. I have to slow down significantly more for turns, exit ramps, and curvy roads. Traction control may turn on when accelerating, even with all-wheel drive. I’m okay with these compromises, as long as I’m able to avoid winter hazards1.
So when I put my summer tires back on, it’s like getting a new car. Exit/entrance ramps are fun again. I can hold higher speeds on the curves in my commute. I can finally turn off the high speed warning on my dash (for sudden gusts of wind from behind, of course). The car actually feels faster, even though I’m sure that’s just in my head.
A recent development in tires is the all-weather tire, which is not the same as the all-season tire. The all-weather tires can also be driven year round, but with better snow performance than all-seasons. It meets winter tire requirements in locales that mandate them.
That’s certainly a tempting proposition for someone who stores their off-season tires in the basement. It would certainly make their lower back happier not to have to carry wheels and tires up and down stairs.
But for now I’m going to stick to the joy of getting a new car every spring.
What a diff’rence a tire made
Twenty-four little hours
Brought the sun and the flowers
Mm, where there used to be snow
—apologies to Dinah Washington, et.al.
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills that we climbed
Were just seasons out of time
—Terry Jacks
Crankiness Rating: 
Tired again, as always.
