Last week winter officially arrived and I couldn’t be happier. With the official winter wonderment, we also had our first healthy heap of snow. Is your vehicle ready for whatever weather based plot twists mother nature throws at you? Let’s be real for a minute here…you never know what you’re going to get here in the capital district. Will it be 85 degrees and sunny in this January? Will it be 4 degrees and blizzarding? Who knows?? Not me. I prefer to be prepared. If you want to be ready for whatever kind of winter we end up with, check out these helpful tips on things you should have checked or changed!

Tire Traction

I hear ya! Is it really worth it to get snow tires? It’s your choice, but my snow tires have saved me from some pretty intense snowfall. They are designed with increased tread and temperature-withstanding compounds that can keep tire material structure pliable in extreme cold, giving you better traction, so in my opinion, they are 100% worth it.

Tire Tread

Should you decided to not go with snow tires, at least make sure that your tires aren’t bald and have a decent tread. Even the best all-season tires won’t do any good if they don’t have adequate tread on them. If you have any doubts, you can easily do the penny test. Basically just insert a penny (with Lincoln’s head pointing down) in between the raised portions of your tire’s tread. If you cannot see the top of Lincoln’s head, then your tires have sufficient tread; if you can, you need new tires. It’s also important to make sure that your tires are wearing evenly so check all of your tires in different places to make sure.

Proper Tire Inflation

In addition to tread, keeping your tires inflated correctly can help keep you safe in snowy terrain.  

Remember that for every 10-degree drop in temperature, your tires lose one psi of air, meaning this is prime time to keep up with that tire pressure. Most vehicles are equipped with a tire pressure sensor so keep an eye out for that light, but also walk around your vehicle periodically and look to see if your tire is bulging a bit. If it is, check the tire pressure and inflate it to the correct psi!

If you keep on top of these things, you will be able to make it through the winter months like a champion! If you want to have your tires checked and or changed, stop by Zappone Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram of Granville today and we’ll get your winter ready!