First snow checklist for Edmonton drivers
· Just Auto · Maintenance & Repair
Before the first snow: get your winter tires on, have the battery tested, have the brakes looked at, switch to winter-rated washer fluid and reset your tire pressures. Cold air alone drops pressure, and shops across the city fill up the day the snow lands.
The first snow in Edmonton is never really a surprise. It arrives in October in about half of years, it usually melts, and then it comes back in November and stays. What catches people out is that everything they meant to do beforehand has to happen in the same week as everyone else.
None of the list below takes long. It is worth doing in the order it is written, because the first two are the ones with a queue in front of them.
What should you check before the first snowfall?
- Winter tires. The rubber in an all-season tire stiffens below about 7 °C, so it is the cold that matters, not the snow. Book the changeover before the snow falls, not after.
- The battery. Cold weather asks more of a battery at the exact time it can give less. A battery that is merely weak in October is usually the one that will not turn the engine over in January. A test tells you which one you have.
- Brakes. Winter is when you find out how much brake you have left, on a surface that does not forgive finding out late.
- Washer fluid. Summer fluid freezes in the lines and on the glass. Switch to a winter-rated fluid and keep a spare jug in the vehicle.
- Wiper blades. A blade that smears in October rain is useless against road spray off a salted road.
- Lights. The commute is dark on both ends by the end of the month. Walk around the vehicle with the lights on and check all of them, including the plate light.
- Tire pressures. Do this last, once it is properly cold.
Why does your tire pressure light come on when it gets cold?
Air contracts as it cools. A tire loses roughly 1 psi for every 5 °C drop in temperature, so a set filled on a warm September afternoon can be several psi low on the first cold morning without leaking at all.
Low pressure costs you grip, fuel and tire life, and it wears the outer shoulders of the tread. Set them cold — before driving, not after a run down the Henday — to the number on the sticker inside the driver's door, not the number moulded into the tire sidewall.
Does four-wheel drive change the list?
Not much of it. Four-wheel and all-wheel drive help a vehicle get moving on a slippery surface. They do nothing at all for stopping or for cornering, which are decided by the tires. Most of the vehicles on our lot right now are 4WD or AWD, and we would still put winter tires on every one of them.
What four-wheel drive does change is how far you get before the problem shows up. That is worth remembering on a first-snow morning, when the traffic ahead of you is mostly on all-seasons.
What should you keep in the vehicle?
A scraper and a snow brush, gloves, a spare washer fluid jug, and a set of booster cables. If you commute outside the city, add a blanket, a flashlight and something to put under a tire for traction.
Charge your phone before you leave rather than during the drive, and if you have a block heater, check the cord and the plug end now while you can feel your hands.
When can you get all of this done?
Battery testing and replacement, brake repair, diagnostics and fluid services are all booked online in 30-minute slots, and can be done in one visit. Service and repair work can be financed, subject to credit approval.
The Tire Centre quotes and installs winter tires, seasonal changeovers and winter packages through the tire finder on our site. If you are doing both, book the tire appointment first — that is the one with the city-wide queue behind it.
Questions
When should I book my winter tire changeover in Edmonton?
Late September or the first week of October. Edmonton's first snowfall lands in October in about half of years, and tire shops across the city book out for weeks on the day it does. Booking early is the whole trick.
How do I know if my battery will survive the winter?
You test it. Age and a slow crank are hints, but a battery test measures what the battery can actually deliver under load, which is the thing that changes when the temperature drops. We test and replace batteries, and it is a short appointment.
Why is my tire pressure light on when the tires look fine?
Because the air inside them got colder. A tire loses about 1 psi for every 5 °C the temperature falls, so a set that was correct in September can trip the warning on the first cold morning with nothing wrong. Check them cold and set them to the door-jamb sticker.
Do I need winter tires if I have all-wheel drive?
All-wheel drive helps you pull away. It does not help you stop or turn — that is the tire compound, and an all-season compound stiffens below about 7 °C. Winter tires are worth it on an AWD vehicle for exactly the same reason they are worth it on a front-wheel-drive one.
Can I book the tires and the service work at the same time?
Yes. Service appointments and tire appointments are both booked online. Book the tire appointment as early as you can and fit the rest around it, because tire availability is what gets tight once the snow arrives.