Choosing Summer Tires For Hot Weather Conditions

All-season tires are quite popular today because they serve us pretty well regardless of the prevailing weather conditions. Although they do not excel in specific weather conditions, we can depend on them no matter what season of the year. However, in places like Florida where the weather is mostly hot all year round, some people are thinking of using summer tires or those that are made for hot weather instead of an all-season tire. It usually depends on every person’s situation. Here is a simple guide that can help you choose which tire is the best for you.

Summer Tires’ Specifications

Photo Credit: Kevin Dooley

Profile refers to the height of a tire’s sidewall. Tires exclusively tailor-made for hot weather conditions have tread patterns that shed water and avoid uncontrollable sliding. Thus, the overall design of tires made for the summer season is aimed at maximizing the part that touches the ground.

Tires particularly designed for hot weather have tread channels that are shallower and narrower than all-season tires. Rubbers are also softer so as to ensure that it is elastic enough as it goes over ridges, bumps, corrugations, and other tricky spots usually found in hot-weathered areas.

Over time, manufacturers have striven to provide tires that are exclusively conducive to the summer heat. Today, there are fantastic tires for hot weather that even car racing fanatics fancy. It is important, however, to note that tires made for warm weather are soft when it is hot and rather hard when the weather is cold. So this may lead to accidents when driven in frozen roads.

Choosing Between Summer Tires and All-Season Tires

For those wondering on what kind of tires to buy, here’s the simple solution: If you drive around southern Florida most of the time, it is a good idea to invest in summer tires. For those who usually drive in both warm and cold areas, it is advisable that you invest in all-season tires instead. If you are unsure what tires to purchase, then better visit your most trusted tire dealer and talk to their expert mechanics for qualified counsel about the best tire to choose. They will be able to assess your specific driving routine and destinations and can suggest on which tire is best for your vehicle.