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  1. #1
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    Default Cross country midwinter trip on Blizzaks

    We are doing a 3-week trip in January. I recently put Blizzak tires on our truck since we now spend our winters in snow country in northern Utah. Our trip will take us south to Arizona then east to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast of Texas.

    I am aware of the cautions about driving on snow tires in warm weather, but I'd like to hear from our resident tire experts on how much of an issue that is likely to be for a trip like this, where temps might get into the high 70s in places?
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    Having lived in the CO Mtns for decades I used to run snow tires to AZ and other dry places without any issues. You will experience a little more road noise and possibly a little longer stopping distance on dry pavement. There will be a little more tire wear when the temps get above 50-60 and cornering a little less precise.
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    Very Active Member BLUEKNIGHT911's Avatar
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    If they are " studded " they will be noisier, and as said above they will wear quicker. ( like 10 to 15 % ) ..... Mike

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    Quote Originally Posted by BLUEKNIGHT911 View Post
    If they are " studded " they will be noisier, and as said above they will wear quicker. ( like 10 to 15 % ) ..... Mike
    Mike, they're not studded. On dry roads around here, they're very quiet.

    My alternative, which I briefly considered, is to carry my (mounted) all-season tires with me and swap them out as dictated by conditions. For various reasons, that's not desireable, but I'll reconsider if it's clear that I'll damage the Blizzaks otherwise.
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  5. #5
    Ozzie Ozzie Ozzie Peter Aawen's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by UtahPete View Post
    ......
    My alternative, which I briefly considered, is to carry my (mounted) all-season tires with me and swap them out as dictated by conditions. For various reasons, that's not desireable, but I'll reconsider if it's clear that I'll damage the Blizzaks otherwise.
    We don't get a heap of snow here in Oz, but I've lived & worked in our Snowy Mountains for more'n a decade, and have run a fleet of vehicles that frequently travel in our Snow/Not Snow country for much longer than that - so pretty much the conditions you describe most of the time! Come wintertime over here, we always put tires like the Blizzaks (& sometimes even Blizzaks!) on those vehicles that travel anywhere near the areas that are likely to run into snow/ice conditions, even if they never actually get to see any! Because the conditions in those areas are so changeable, it would be silly if not irresponsible NOT to fit them, cos there's no point in having them in the shed or even in the back of the truck as you get stuck trying to drive up some gentle snowy incline or worse, slide off the road or into oncoming traffic!

    By fitting them 'early', those vehicles that do encounter snow &/or ice are ready, while those that don't actually need winter/snow & ice tires this time around might experience a tiny bit more noise & may possibly wear their tires a tiny bit more than is strictly ideal, but it still makes a whole lot more sense to chalk that up to an abundance of caution than it is to hafta pay for someone's funeral! The extra wear & verrry marginally less than ideal traction those tires give on 'not snowy &/or icy roads' is a tiny cost when considering the risks vs benefits - and it's wintertime anyway, so drivers should be driving a little slower/with a little extra care in the first place; and besides, even if the temps might get up into the 20's (°C) or 70's (°F) during the day time, they sure's'eck don't most winter nights, so the early morning/evening & night-time road surface temps are well below any temp that would cause too much issue with running winter tires on hotter than ideal road surfaces, and that extends well into most days! And for those that drive in warmer temps ALL the time, they really just hafta be aware that they're running on winter/snow & ice rated tires, so don't thrash them or do lotsa high speed runs in the heat of the day!

    So, are the night-time temps where you're going likely to be in the high 70's (°F) or are they more likely to be something below 70°F?? Cos if it's the latter, you likely have nothing to be concerned about; but if the former, you've got very little to be concerned about anyway, certainly not so much that you can't minimise any higher risks by driving a bit slower/with a bit more care! In fact, I'd suggest that you should be most concerned & therefore drive even more carefully in Warm/hot & WET conditions than you should in warm or even hot & DRY conditions while running the Blizzaks! Unless you do a bunch of long, hot, & high speed runs (90mph +) with the Blizzaks fitted, you should be fine, altho you'll probably need to swap out the Blizzaks come spring/summer!

    Enjoy your trip!
    Last edited by Peter Aawen; 11-19-2022 at 04:53 PM. Reason: Mountains :-/
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  6. #6
    Very Active Member canamjhb's Avatar
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    Pete,
    Keep the winter tires on, enjoy your trip, and don't worry about a thing. And, it is likely you WILL encounter snow here in Arizona and elsewhere. Drive safely..... Jim
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  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Aawen View Post

    By fitting them 'early', those vehicles that do encounter snow &/or ice are ready, while those that don't actually need winter/snow & ice tires this time around might experience a tiny bit more noise & may possibly wear their tires a tiny bit more than is strictly ideal, but it still makes a whole lot more sense to chalk that up to an abundance of caution than it is to hafta pay for someone's funeral! The extra wear & verrry marginally less than ideal traction those tires give on 'not snowy &/or icy roads' is a tiny cost when considering the risks vs benefits - and it's wintertime anyway, so drivers should be driving a little slower/with a little extra care in the first place; and besides, even if the temps might get up into the 20's (°C) or 70's (°F) during the day time, they sure's'eck don't most winter nights, so the early morning/evening & night-time road surface temps are well below any temp that would cause too much issue with running winter tires on hotter than ideal road surfaces, and that extends well into most days! And for those that drive in warmer temps ALL the time, they really just hafta be aware that they're running on winter/snow & ice rated tires, so don't thrash them or do lotsa high speed runs in the heat of the day!
    Thanks Peter. That pretty much confirms what I was thinking.
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