Do I Need Snow Tires In Yakima?

The roads in and out of Yakima can be icy during the winter months. Some areas may also experience black ice. With these types of conditions, some sort of snow tire is recommended. You have several options to choose from like studded tires, traction tires and chains. We will review these tire types to help you decide the best snow tires for your winter driving.

“Studded tires are to cars what cleats are to running shoes.” Autotrader.com Just like running shoes have cleats to help grip the terrain, studded tires have small metal spikes inserted throughout the tread. The studs will give the vehicle better traction when driving on snowy roads by breaking through the layers of ice, allowing for grip on the snow.

If studded tires are more than you want, the next level of a snow tire would be the traction tire. Traction tires have an eighth of an inch of tread. On the tires there will be a mountain/snowflake symbol or M&S that stands for mud and snow.

While M&S may not be enough for snow driving, they are helpful in wet driving conditions. The better choice would be tires that have the mountain/snowflake symbol. These tires are rated for “severe snow service” and are designed to work better in more severe winter weather conditions.

One of the things that make the mountain/snowflake tire a better choice is because the rubber used to make it is flexible and remains softer in cold temperatures.

Another option available for winter driving is the snow tire. Just like the mountain/snowflake tire, snow tires are made with rubber special rubber for cold weather driving. Snow tires have deeper and unique tread patterns to help maintain traction.  

If you really need to get serious, tire chains for snow are the final option for you. Snow tire chains are placed over the tires. They are to be used when there is fully compacted snow and/or ice on the road. Installing chains can be a bit tricky. It is recommended that you practice before encountering an icy road. If you are driving a 4WD vehicle, chains should be placed on all four tires. With front-wheel drive, place the chains on the two front tires. With rear-wheel drive, place on the two rear tires. If you will be driving with chains, be sure to not exceed 30 mph.

The state of Washington allows the use of studded tires November 1st-March 31st. If you use them outside of this date range, you could incur a fine.

After you have figured out the best snow tires for your vehicle, come see our Hyundai of Yakima Service Center where you can buy your new tires and have them installed. We carry a full line-up of quality tires; you are sure to find what you need. If you are not sure what you need, our expert staff will work with you to find out where you will be driving to determine which tire will work for your driving conditions. You can feel confident that our team will get your car geared up for winter driving. We want you and other drivers on the road to be safe on our winter roads.