There’s no rush! Best to keep your winter tires on…
…until the realistic date CAA-Quebec has calculated for switching to summer!
Tend to put things off? A born procrastinator? Lucky you! Because when it comes to summer tires, you’ve got it right. Why do tomorrow what you could legally have done since March 16? Because it’s safer to wait for the CAA-Quebec realistic date for switching to summer tires.
We checked with MétéoMédia, and they tell us that putting your summer tires back on early does nothing to speed up spring, even if you think loads of positive thoughts. Rumour has it that Mother Nature actually gets quite a kick out of it, says weather forecaster André Monette, considering her tendency to pitch some 50 cm of snow at us in March and April and keep the thermometer below zero at night, at least until mid-April.
He adds that every 18 years Montreal gets a big snowstorm after mid-April. In Gaspé, it’s every three! That’s why the best date to change your tires according to CAA-Quebec and MétéoMédia varies so much—from April 5 to mid-May!
The realistic date for your region
This year, CAA-Quebec announces realistic dates for each of Quebec’s 17 regions, give or take 10 days to account for variations within regions and risk tolerance thresholds. The risk of running into winter conditions is low on the early date and very low on the late date.
“We’re not expecting particularly cold weather in the coming weeks,” says Monette. “April should be pretty typical, with wide swings in temperature. These dates should be good guidelines for this year.”
CAA-Quebec realistic dates for installing summer tires, by region
| April 5 to 15 | Montreal, Laval, Montérégie, Eastern Townships, Outaouais |
April 10 to 20 | Lanaudière, Centre-du-Québec, Laurentides, Mauricie |
April 15 to 25 | Capitale-Nationale,* Chaudière-Appalaches, Lower St. Lawrence, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Abitibi-Témiscamingue |
April 20 to 30 | Gaspé–Îles-de-la-Madeleine* |
April 25 to May 5 | North Shore* |
After May 15 | Northern Quebec |
* Includes mountainous areas (Réserve faunique des Laurentides, Charlevoix, Chic-Chocs, etc.) where winter tires are needed longer because of later snow and thawing. | |
It’s the realistic date, not the perfect date
A word of caution, however. The legal date of March 16 for switching tires is not the ideal date for road safety, but our realistic date is not necessarily the perfect date either. “It’s an average based on weather data in recent years. But you never know what’s coming. Remember, this year winter started a month early!” says Pierre-Serge Labbé, CAA-Quebec Vice President, Automotive Services. “The smart date is only a guide. You need to use your judgment. If you drive a lot at night or in mountainous areas, you’re best to keep your winter tires on a bit longer.”
Potholes everywhere
Spring is a busy time at repair shops, particularly this year with all the potholes. “There have been a lot of places with an epidemic of flat tires and calls for towing or putting on spare tires,” says François Pelchat, CAA-Quebec Roadside Assistance Service Manager.
Making an appointment is what’s urgent!
“It’s crazy, all the potholes, and people wanting to get their cars ready for summer and the holidays,” says Richard Jalbert, proprietor of Pneus Express de l’Estrie Icipneu in Sherbrooke. “And now everybody’s going to be rushing in at once to get their tires changed. It’s like somebody flicks a switch! So even if there’s no immediate rush to take care of your tires, make an appointment now so you have a spot when the time comes.”
In case of doubt, there’s nothing wrong with keeping your winter tires on until the end of April or even into early May. Winter tires aren’t at their best in warmer weather, but they can easily handle the first warm days of spring. So don’t worry, you won’t cause too much wear and tear.