I have a rule that I follow to determine when they go on. The officially stated temperature by the Rubber Association of Canada (and their US counterpart says pretty much the same) is that below 7C, all seasons start to become ineffective.
That said, I use a site like www.accuweather.com and check it at least every other day for the forecast for the coming week. I will aim to have my swap done on a weekend, so I'll plan based on the forecast. I look for the following in the forecast to prompt me to make the switch: snow in the forecast (not the wet stuff that doesn't stay around, but real snow), or daytime highs that don't get up beyond about 4C over the course of several days.
Your temperature tolerance will depend on your specific set of all seasons and the condition they are in. Mine are over 50% worn, and while I do notice deterioration in traction below 7C, they are still acceptable to just below freezing. (On dry pavement, some all seasons or summers are like hockey pucks right around the 7C, and some can make it all the way down to -20C, with the majority somewhere in the middle, but all are useless compared to winter tires in ice and snow regardless of temperature). I'd rather conserve the tread on my winters. Following that rule, where I live, that's meant they go on as early as Canadian Thanksgiving, or as late as the first or second week of November, but on average right around Halloween. This year for me, it was October 23.
Taking the winter tires off, I look to the forecast to when I can be reasonably assured to be clear of all significant snow fall.
That said, I use a site like www.accuweather.com and check it at least every other day for the forecast for the coming week. I will aim to have my swap done on a weekend, so I'll plan based on the forecast. I look for the following in the forecast to prompt me to make the switch: snow in the forecast (not the wet stuff that doesn't stay around, but real snow), or daytime highs that don't get up beyond about 4C over the course of several days.
Your temperature tolerance will depend on your specific set of all seasons and the condition they are in. Mine are over 50% worn, and while I do notice deterioration in traction below 7C, they are still acceptable to just below freezing. (On dry pavement, some all seasons or summers are like hockey pucks right around the 7C, and some can make it all the way down to -20C, with the majority somewhere in the middle, but all are useless compared to winter tires in ice and snow regardless of temperature). I'd rather conserve the tread on my winters. Following that rule, where I live, that's meant they go on as early as Canadian Thanksgiving, or as late as the first or second week of November, but on average right around Halloween. This year for me, it was October 23.
Taking the winter tires off, I look to the forecast to when I can be reasonably assured to be clear of all significant snow fall.
