Did you remove your winter tires? Calgary spring storm has drivers second‑guessing tire change

Calgary’s latest blast of spring snow has many drivers wondering whether they swapped out their winter tires a little too soon.

Winter may have officially ended last week, but a snowstorm on Wednesday brought slippery roads and reduced visibility, leading to a chaotic morning commute.

Jordan Fraser, owner of Fountain Tire Crowfoot, says his shop saw several early tire‑change appointments over the weekend, a mix of eager planners and people dealing with worn‑out winter sets.

“Sometimes if they run into an issue with their current winter tires, they get their summer tires on early,” Fraser said.

For Calgarians like Malik Addi, now in his third winter in the city, the timing is never straightforward.

“Because this is Calgary and here, unexpectedly snow, so you have to be careful until I think April 15th,” he said.

Others take an even more cautious approach. Michael Johnson, who was having a new set of all‑weather tires installed, said he wouldn’t dream of switching to all‑seasons before early summer.

“June 1st,” he said. “I’m not joking about May long weekend being the last snowfall of the year, so you’re taking your chances.”

For drivers worried about damaging their winter tires by keeping them on too long, Fraser says there’s little risk until temperatures consistently rise.

He notes that winter tires only begin to wear prematurely once street temperatures climb above 7 C.

“Leaving your winters on a little bit longer isn’t going to cause any unnecessary wear on them until you really get into like end of May, early or mid‑June,” he said.

A snowfall warning that was in effect has now ended for Calgary, but not before the storm caused widespread delays and prompted police to advise residents to avoid travel on Wednesday morning.