Are All-Season Tires Good Enough For Winter In Prince Edward Island?

Short answer: No. All-season tires are not good enough for winter in Prince Edward Island.

Long answer?

All-season tires come up short in PEI for a few reasons, not the least of which is the amount of snow that falls in PEI over the course of the season: more than 300 centimetres per year in New Glasgow and Tignish; nearly that much in Charlottetown. All-season tires are akin to wearing sneakers when snowmobiling or sandals when skiing. 

Snow is just one reason Island drivers should switch over their all-season tires to winter tires each fall. Cold temperatures, even without snow, harden all-season tires and reduce grip. In fact, below 7°C, chillier weather decreases the effectiveness of an all-season tires.

Softer rubber compounds, on the other hand, allow winter tires to maintain consistency in colder temperatures. Pair that softer compound with a tread pattern designed to expel snow and slush and winter tires make a huge difference in winter weather, everywhere from North Cape to East Point. 

All-season tires do serve an important purpose. Winter tires are not designed to cope with heat, and they begin to wear very quickly as the weather warms up in April and May. 

Adding a set of winter tires to your car’s portfolio therefore is the most important piece of safety equipment on your vehicle. But there’s also an economic argument. Because all-season tires wear more evenly and slowly in the spring, summer, and fall and because winter tires wear better in the winter, two sets of tires swapped out each year theoretically provide more tire life than you’d receive from one set of all-season tires used all year long.

You can call Centennial Nissan of Summerside or visit our parts and service department for a quote on the best winter tires for your vehicle. Or you can visit the Tire Centre at CentennialNissanofSummerside.com to order your tires.