If you live in the northeast, including Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, winter tires (or even studded tires) are a must. The reason is simple; the 4-letter word folks here call snow. For that matter, ice, sleet, and freezing rain too. If you’re going to be driving in winter, your car or truck should certainly use a decent set of winter or studded tires. That begs the question; how long do winter tires last? If staying safe while saving money is your goal, keep reading to find out.
The Great Tire Debate
If you visit just about any other country where they deal with winter weather, winter tires are mandatory. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for the United States. You won’t find any mandatory winter tire requirements anywhere, which is a shame. The states do, however, place restrictions on when you can use studded tires. Studded tires provide better traction on ice and snow by using metal or rubber studs. They offer heavier duty protection than winter tires, but both types of tires will help to protect drivers from winter hazards. The fact is, there’s clear and convincing evidence that winter tires give you a safety advantage. Dozens of different scientific studies have proven exactly that. Still, the majority of drivers on the road in the United States don’t use safe winter tires.
The debate this causes every year is no joke. Let’s face it, tires aren’t cheap. (Although, just FYI, winter tires are cost-competitive with any other type of tire.) That’s a problem, however, considering tires are arguably the most important component on your car or truck. In our humble opinion, winter or studded tires are an excellent investment. And the question of how long do winter tires last is almost moot since they last as long as regular tires.
What About All-Season Tires?
The thing is, tire manufacturers make a lot of compromises when designing tires. The reason why is that, when you improve performance in one factor, you almost always have to diminish another factor. For example, all-season tires work great when you have relatively mild weather changes. On the other hand, they don’t do nearly as well in very cold weather and snow. That’s because all-season tires tend to loosen their grip since they stay too flexible.
What If Your Car or Truck Has 4-Wheel Drive?
Many car and truck owners who have four-wheel-drive vehicles believe they don’t need winter tires. That’s actually untrue. While 4-wheel drive can help get your car or truck going, it won’t do much to help it stop. 4-wheel drive is great for controlling your car or truck but that has nothing to do with the actual tires. If they’re just regular tires the tread are not designed to push snow or ice out of the way. In short, 4-wheel drive or not, winter tires make your car or truck safer.
They Work In Any Winter Weather
Many folks in the northeast believe that winter tires are only useful in snow. While they do work extremely well in snow, winter tires are also good for ice, freezing rain, and sleet. The reason why it is that the rubber compound used in them keep them flexible and very low temperatures. That flexibility gives you much better handling and stopping power whether there’s snow on the ground or not.
They Perform Much Better in Snow
Unlike regular tires or even all-season tires, winter tires work like a charm in the snow. Their supple rubber helps them perform excellently in freezing temperatures and heavy snow. Plus, they have a deeper tread that helps make driving in both snow and slush a lot safer. Both their flexible compounds and specialized tread designs make winter tires a much better choice for driving in snow.
How Long Do They Last?
What you need to consider when purchasing winter tires is that you’ll only be using them for about 4 months, and then storing them to get a longer life cycle. Let’s take a look at a winter tire with a 40,000-mile tread life. Plus, the average amount of miles Americans drive every year. That number, according to the United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, is approximately 13,500 miles per year. That means if you drive 4 months on winter tires you’d put 4500 miles on them. Extrapolated out, that means you’d need 8.9 winter seasons to put 40,000 miles on them.
Of course, you may drive much more than the average person (or much less). Whatever the case may be, you could easily expect your winter tires to last 4-6 seasons. If you figure that the cost of four is about $500, your total cost per season would be less than $75. (If they last 8 seasons, it’s even less!) We think most people would agree that $75 is a good investment for extra safety while driving in winter. But based on location, how long do your winter tires last and are studded tires allowed?
How Long Do Winter Tires Last In Connecticut?
Connecticut averages 37 inches of snow per year. The months of December, January, February, and about half of March are the typical winter months in Connecticut. Therefore, winter tires are good for at least four seasons in Connecticut if stored correctly. Additionally, Connecticut state law allows studded tires from November 15 through April 30 only.
How Long Do Winter Tires Last In Maryland?
Maryland gets a little less snow than Connecticut with an average of 20.6 inches per year. This means that snow tires can last up to 6 seasons. The first snowfall of winter for Maryland usually arrives in December. The season’s last snowfall typically happens in March. Since the snowfall is lower than other northeast states, studded tires are illegal in Maryland, except for in certain counties.
How Long Do Winter Tires Last In Massachusetts?
Like the other areas in the Northwest, snow tires in Massachusetts will last about four seasons if properly cared for. The snowfall in Maryland comes out to a whopping 48.1 inches per year. The first snowfall of winter usually arrives in December. The season’s last snowfall typically happens in March. Maryland is normally free of snow every year from May to October. Keep in mind, in Massachusetts, studded snow tires are only allowed from Nov. 2 to April 30. The fine for violating this law is $50.
How Long Do Winter Tires Last In New Jersey?
New Jersey averages 23 inches of snow per year, which is less than the national average. So we recommend using your snow tires for about six seasons. Snow may fall from about November to April in New Jersey. Studded snow tires are legal on vehicles in New Jersey between November 15th and April 1st.
How Long Do Winter Tires Last In New York?
New York sees it’s fair share of winter weather, with an average of 36 inches of snow per year. With that in mind, winter tires are good for at least four seasons. The Department of Motor Vehicles in New York says studded tires are allowed from Oct. 16 through April 30.
How Long Do Winter Tires Last In Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania is one of the snowiest states, with an average of 41 inches per year. With that in mind, winter tires are good for at least four seasons in Pennsylvania if stored correctly. Additionally, studded tires are allowed for road use in Pennsylvania from November 1 to April 15.
Where To Store Winter Tires
Now that we’ve answered your tire question, the next question is storing them. Since the average American household has three cars, that’s 12 tires. Even if you have a large garage, 12 tires take up a lot of space! That’s why MooveIn Self Storage is a better choice for storing those bad boys.
Safe and secure, MooveIn offers storage units all over the northeast. That includes Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey. No matter which state you live in, our storage units are safe, clean, and affordable. Even better, with our month-to-month leases, you won’t have to pay for the months you’re using your winter tires.
Renting a storage unit from MooveIn Self Storage is super easy. Simply fill in our online application, choose the storage unit that fits your needs best and you’re done! There’s no deposit necessary and, to make things even more convenient, you can pay your monthly bill online. Of course, you can store anything else you like in one of our storage units, no problem. Furniture, collectibles, clothing, winter sports equipment, you name it.
In Conclusion
Wintertime in the northeast can be a real bear, weather-wise. Using winter tires, however, is one of the best ways to keep your family safe when you’re on the road. As we’ve seen, it’s also quite affordable. These tires should easily last you quite a few seasons. Whatever you decide, please remember to drive safely and get home to your family. If you have questions about storing your winter tires, feel free to chat online with a MooveIn manager today.
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