Tire choice for New Mexico / Southern Rockies

Those of you that live in the high altitude desert climates like much of the Southwest or Southern Rockies region: do you run all-season tires or a dedicated summer and winter set?

 

I'll be moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico this summer for my fiancé's job. It will be a drastically different climate than southeast Michigan, where I currently live and have been running snow tires from Mid-November through mid-March. In ABQ it's typically a low of around freezing during these months, but highs in the upper 50s F. It seems like it will be often very warm and dry for the snow tires, but too cold in the morning for summer tires. I also plan to frequently drive up to northern NM or Colorado to ski where it will be significantly colder and snowier.

 

I already have 2 sets of wheels, one of which has low mileage snow tires which I prefer to keep. I'm just hesitant to pull the trigger on summer tires if snow tires are really unnecessary in this climate.

 

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

V rated performance winters?

 

In MA one needs studless or studded winter tires nowadays.

 

Krzys

as long as the temps don't go below 40F you can run just summer tires. IF its cold one morning, just take it easy till you warm them up before you do spirited driving. No need for snows if there is no snow or below freezing temps consistently.

V rated performance winters?

 

In MA one needs studless or studded winter tires nowadays.

 

Krzys

 

I currently have 225 45r18 Goodyear UltraIce WRT studless snows mounted on my OEM spec.B wheels. They currently on the car right now and this is only the 2nd season on them (5k miles annually). Unless the consensus is that they will be totally unnecessary I'll probably keep them and buy summers over buying "performance" all-seasons.

 

as long as the temps don't go below 40F you can run just summer tires. IF its cold one morning, just take it easy till you warm them up before you do spirited driving. No need for snows if there is no snow or below freezing temps consistently.

 

That's what I'm thinking, to just buy summers and run them the majority of the year. Keep the winters in case they're needed. Direzza ZIIs are on closeout on TireRack.

Hell yeah, get those ZII's!

 

Also toyo R1R's a dont need much heat to work as well.

Hell yeah, get those ZII's!

 

Also toyo R1R's a dont need much heat to work as well.

 

The ZIIs in 225/40R18 are $122 ea. Seems like a good price. They would go on 18x8 +45 wheels. So I take that as you recommend the ZIIs if I go that route?

absolutely. ZII's are awesome.

So for Albuquerque, what you need really depends on where you are located. If you end up living in the east mountains (on the east side of the Sandia mountains) then they get some snow - several storms each year that approach a foot, then lots of lesser storms in the 6 inch or less range. In Albuquerque proper, we get very, very little snow - most winters we have a few storms where we end up with 3 or 4 inches, but most are an inch or less. (there are the occasional freak storms - back in 07 we got over two feet one time - turned this place off like a switch)

 

A decent set of all seasons and you'll do fine year round.

 

It definitely does get below 40 for most of the winter (in the mornings it will be in the 20's, then warm up as the day goes on - it's very dry here, so it warms up quickly) - but if you don't drive like a crazy person, you can get away with summer tires that aren't too aggressive. (I ran my RE050As until this fall, then switched to some UHP all seasons which I really like) I wouldn't do that (stay on summers) if you end up living in the east mountains, though - while the storms are small by comparison to places that get a real winter (I am from MA myself - been teasing my family in the Boston area all winter) you need to remember that they are absolute morons when it comes to maintaining the roads here - an inch of snow, if it's sticking to the roads, will close the schools, etc. - which is probably a good thing because the typical driver is really bad in snow (or rain, for that matter) - on days when they expect slippery conditions, I go into work extra early so that I don't have to deal with them - I am not at all worried about sliding around myself, but I have no control over the other folks who want to play bumper cars...

DrD123, I forgot to reply before but thanks a lot for your detailed response.

 

whitetiger, I ordered the ZIIs. They went up in price a little this week, but were still closeout at only $125 each. Going from a 215 width (OEM size) P Zero Nero A/S to a 225 width ZII, I gain 2" of tread width!!