Experts urge Manitobans to ready their vehicles ahead of Winter

Winter is coming and while there may be no snow on the ground just yet, experts say now is the time for motorists to prepare for the switch in season.

Christiaan Breman is the service manager at Westwood Auto Tec and says he’s already getting calls from motorists asking to switch over to winter tires.

“Usually closer to the end of October we start getting a lot of calls in, by November we’re assigned day in and day out with tire change over season. It gets hectic here,” said Breman.

Elisha Dacey over at CAA Manitoba says while it may not be time exactly to put on your winter tires just yet, motorists should be making appointments to do so right now. 

“It’s still a little bit too warm, but once it hits seven degrees Celsius or lower, then you can start thinking about getting those winter tires put on,” said Dacey.

“What we do recommend, of course, is making your appointment right now so that you’re not waiting when the first snowfall does hit.”

While Winnipeg still gets to enjoy daytime temperatures in the double digits for a few more days, the time of year, when we can expect daytime temperatures to hit the freezing mark, is just around the corner.

“More than half the month of October typically has days with minimum temperatures below zero,” said Natalie Hasell, warning preparedness meteorologist, Environment and Climate Change Canada.

“Mid to late October would probably be the right time to swap your tires. Winter tires do make a difference. I know they could be expensive, I know that they are hard to store, but they’re worth it.”

Dacey added, “Winter tires are designed with a silica compound that helps grip the road. Using those on a cold road means that you could stop up to two car lengths faster, preventing some of those fender benders.”

And it isn’t just winter tires motorists need to consider before snow blankets Manitoba.

“Making sure you have an emergency car kit, making sure that you have an ice scraper, making sure that you have a snow brush. Dig those out from your shed where you buried them last spring, and make sure that they’re in your car,” explained Dacey.

Once the frigid cold, snow, and ice arrive, it’s important for motorists to be aware of the conditions that they plan on driving in and plan accordingly for that specific time of day.

“While you’re having your tires done, have them check your battery just to make sure that it’s not going to fail you when it does get to -30 degrees,” said Dacey.

Hasell adds, “Early morning is the coldest period of the 24 hours of the day. If you are a night shift worker in particular not only are you tired from your shift, but your road conditions might be the worst they’re going to be, and that’s when you’re driving home. It’s important to pay attention, drive to road conditions, and have the tools that you need.”