[mholter]

Hello California. I have accepted a new job in Orange County, arriving next month.

I am curious about the climate necessitating winter tires during the cold season. Perhaps for those foreseeable trips to Big Bear Lake to ski and snowboard? Or do folks rent a light duty truck or SUV to take to the mountains for a ski trip? From what I can gather, there is no snow fall in the coastal and inland metropolitan areas. I have not spent any time in California outside of my time for the job interview.

The e90 is my only vehicle, and will be my daily driver for the foreseeable future in Orange County. My car is the xi edition, all-wheel drive. My summer tires are they ever popular and stellar Pilot Sport PS2, Run-Flat iteration. They provide tepid, if not abysmal traction in light snow, or heaven-forbid the road becomes icy. Thus, I am accustom to keeping an set of winter tires mounted up on a second set of wheels.

I was reared in Minnesota and Colorado, learning to drive on snowpacked roads during the cold season. I have spent the last ten years working in Chicago, where the climate also necessitated swapping tires for the cold season. The winter tires come off in April, and go on at Thanksgiving.

Thanks for reading, and I am grateful for your help if I should sell the brand new BBS SR wheels and Pirelli Sottozero 3 run-flats I purchased this summer (while on sale) as I am preparing for relocation.

[AK.]

Good luck catching any rain or snow here! I haven't see rain in months in LA.

[Ruddigger]

Lol, there's no need for winter wheels or tires here. Enjoy running your summers all year round.

[Vincent_E90]

I moved from the bay to Tahoe, correct tires are a must in the winter time up here. Blizzaks WS series are the benchmark IMO, and I'm non-xdrive. Thule K Summit chains are the easiest to put on, but they are super pricey. Unless you plan on being at Bear Mountain 5/7days of the week no point in buying the whole set up. If you're just going to the resorts you wont have to worry about bad roads with a lot of traveling cars on the main road there will be little ice and snow. Up here all we have to worry about is the small neighborhood roads that no one drives on, those are the most dangerous.

[E9TOU]

Definitely no need for snow tires in socal. If you happen to travel to Big Bear (or other snow areas) during snowfall then chains would be your best alternative. Last year I was up there and I saw someone in an e92 (without chains) sliding all over the place during a snowstorm. Seriously thought he was going to hit someone or something.

[mholter]

Thank You, gentlemen.

Your comments confirmed what I have learned from friends. I will not be bringing any winter tire setup.

Mammoth sound like it would be the place to ski, as opposed to Big Bear. I hope to see you out and about in SoCal.

[minaret]

You'll have to compromise with winter tire selections in SoCal. Blizzaks are great if you're driving snow covered roads in the mountains/ski areas, but noisy on snow-free roads due to tread design. All-Season (I used RE960 RFT during the winter) tires are good in sub-freezing temperatures, but just marginal on snow covered roads. Refer to tirerack survey results for tires that may meet your needs. Recommend a dedicated set of tires/wheels for winter months.

[04gto]

Originally Posted by minaret

You'll have to compromise with winter tire selections in SoCal. Blizzaks are great if you're driving snow covered roads in the mountains/ski areas, but noisy on snow-free roads due to tread design. All-Season (I used RE960 RFT during the winter) tires are good in sub-freezing temperatures, but just marginal on snow covered roads. Refer to tirerack survey results for tires that may meet your needs. Recommend a dedicated set of tires/wheels for winter months.

Welcome to SoCal. There is no "compromise" for tires in the "winter" in Southern California. In fact there are very, very few places in the entire state that you would ever encounter snow or ice. Those places are mostly obvious mountai destinations. Mammoth, Big Bear, Tahoe, Yosemite etc. There is not any such thing as winter in SoCal. 3 months of fall, 4 months of spring and 5 months of summer. You have to go LOOKING for snow and ice here, very unlikely that it will find you. You do not even need "all season" tires because, most modern summer tires handle the rain as good, and in some cases, better than all season tires. I am a California native of 40 years. I drive 35000 plus miles every year all over this state. Just buy a good set of summer tires and be happy if they get rain or any moisture on them 30 times in a year.