Time to put the winter tires away in B.C.

In what is another hopeful sign spring is here to stay, today marks the end of winter tire season in British Columbia.

Winter tires or chains are required on most highways in the province from October 1 to March 31, but for select highways, including mountain passes and routes in high snowfall areas, (i.e, the Coquihalla Highway, the Trans-Canada Highway, Eagle Pass and Rogers Pass, and most of Highway 3) the date is extended until April 30.

Summer driving on winter tires can be destructive. Different rubber design means winter tires will degrade faster in summer weather.

According to canadadrives.ca, a good rule of thumb for knowing when to remove your winter tires is once the temperature has risen above 7 Celsius for at least a week’s time.

We’re certainly at that point in Kamloops and the Okanagan, but be aware that snow can continue to fall through most months of the year on higher elevations.

It’s always a good idea to check driving conditions at the DriveBC website if you’re unsure what weather conditions in the mountain passes might be like, spring, summer, fall or winter.

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