While the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island are known for their mild winters, Kelowna receives much more extreme weather during the winter months. A popular skiing and snowboarding destination, Kelowna experiences plenty of snow, ice, and freezing temperatures through winter. For this reason, winter tires are strongly encouraged in Kelowna. These tires will provide the traction, grip, and stability you need to safely navigate winter road conditions in Kelowna.

Winter Tires Features

Snow tires are specially engineered to perform in extreme winter weather. First, they feature a soft rubber compound to remain flexible in freezing temperatures. They also have unique tread patterns with blocky treads, deep grooves, and high-density siping to effectively dispel water and slush from the contact patch. In turn, this allows the tire to grip the road, even if it’s covered in snow or ice. Owing to the superior winter capabilities of snow tires, there is simply no tire out there better equipped for handling winter weather. As such, winter tires are the safest and smartest decision you can make as a Kelowna driver.

Are Winter Tires Required in Kelowna?

The answer to this question is a bit tricky. Winter tires are not legally required in the city of Kelowna, however, on many of the highways leading into and out of Kelowna, winter tires are required during the colder months. Unlike Quebec (the only province with a province-wide winter tire mandate), British Columbia’s winter tire mandate is highway-specific. That means that winter tires or chains are required when driving on designated routes across the province. Many of these routes are located in the Interior, as well as Northern BC and Northern Vancouver Island. So although you aren’t legally required to install winter tires as a Kelowna resident, if you plan to drive on a highway outside of Kelowna during the winter months, they will be required. British Columbia’s winter tire mandate is in effect from October 1st until March 31st or April 30th, depending on the specific highway. Be sure to check the provincial government’s website for further clarifications.

Winter Tire Brands

As one of the most popular types of tires in Canada, winter tires are not hard to come by in BC. Almost every major tire manufacturer in the world makes winter tires, including Radar, Michelin, Bridgestone, Toyo, BFGoodrich, and Firestone. The experts at Tire Warehouse agree that one of the top winter tire lines is Bridgestone’s Blizzak brand. Bridgestone Blizzak tires have a reputation for offering extreme grip, stability, and driving comfort, no matter the winter weather. If you drive a passenger car, we suggest the Blizzak WS80. However, if you drive a light truck, minivan, CUV, or SUV, then the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-80, Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1, or Michelin Latitude X-Ice XI2 are all great options.

Shop Winter Tires at Tire Warehouse

Ready to invest in a quality set of winter tires? Visit TireWarehouse.ca and shop our impressive selection of winter tire offerings. Though we’re headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, we ship tires all across Canada, including to Kelowna. Tires will be delivered in 2 to 4 days and shipping costs just $5 per tire. Contact us today to learn more about our winter tire offerings. Check winter tires pressure.