It is safe to change winter tires to summer tires when the average daily temperature is consistently between +8 and +10 degrees. The Crimean traffic police department told TASS that in the region, motorists usually change tires from mid-March to April, but during sudden cold snaps, especially in the mountains, it is better to wait.
In Sevastopol, the climate complicates the situation: during the day the air can warm up to +15, and at night the temperature drops to zero or below. The high humidity of the coastal zone exacerbates the temperature changes: in the morning, a thin layer of ice forms in the lowlands, on which summer tires do not provide safe movement. The traffic police emphasize that this is true for a significant part of the peninsula.
It is also advised not to rush in the Astrakhan, Rostov, and Volgograd regions - real spring with a stable plus comes there later than the calendar, often closer to April. Nail Mukhtarov, head of the Volgograd DOSAAF driving school, especially drew attention to novice drivers: a few warm March days without snow do not mean that the weather will not present a surprise in the middle of the month.
The law does not establish specific deadlines for changing tires. Anatoly Tsurkin, chairman of the Association of Freight Carriers of Crimea, reminded in an interview with TASS that manufacturers are guided by the +10 degree threshold, and warned: winter tires on heated asphalt lose grip due to their soft composition, and summer tires harden in the cold - in both cases, handling deteriorates. The cost of tire fitting this season has increased within the framework of inflation - according to his estimate, by 10–20% depending on the region.
