Looks like I will me moving to Seattle in a little over a month. Snow tires were helpful in NJ, but will they be worth lugging along to Seattle for the few times that they get snow every year? I will likely live within city limits, close enough that I will have other transit options available. Storage space will likely be a premium. How much will not having snows impact my ability to get around outside of the city?
Almost zero. Unless you like to ski at the pass, you'll have very little use for snow tires. Good all weathers will get you where you need to go around here and if they don't, nobody else is going anywhere either. The whole region shuts down.
Since they age out anyway, sell before you move.
That aligns with what I have read... might as well sell them while they are still worth something (only a year and a half old; 2 seasons).
you could sell them locally and then buy again in seattle when you're ready. I never seem to have a problem with finding snow tires on CL anywhere.
I don't know, I live just outside of Seattle proper and I find snow tires extremely useful. We just had a major snow incident last Monday, and on the radio this morning they were talking about how chains were required in the pass because of all the snow. I'm not saying they are a requirement, but I sure wouldn't be getting rid of ones you already have.
In Seattle proper, snow tires are useless. Are you planning to ski or ever go over the passes? If so, just hold onto them. I rarely used my Blizzaks when I lived there but the one time I did cross the mountains in the winter it was snowing 4" PER HOUR. If it hadn't swapped em out I wouldn't have made it through, at least not safely.
If you do decide to sell em, you can sell them there just fine.
Ha Seattle (city) shuts down at a hint of white stuff. I90 was closed due to too many accidents yesterday, people dont know what snow tires are.... If you ski sure, I cant count how many people I ahve dragged/pushed/towed out of ski lots...
Here is how Seattleites do snow.... Note its not much, and not sticking on the ground, but hey lets chain up to get on the freeway! Yay!
SEADave wrote: I don't know, I live just outside of Seattle proper and I find snow tires extremely useful. We just had a major snow incident last Monday, and on the radio this morning they were talking about how chains were required in the pass because of all the snow. I'm not saying they are a requirement, but I sure wouldn't be getting rid of ones you already have.
^^^ THIS
Please, please keep this in mind with all of the snowmeggedon sarcasm: The PNW metro ares don't get a ton of snow, it does get some nasty ice storms or a little bit of snow that melts and turns into sheet ice. This is what snarls traffic since it happens every few years and only for a day or two, so gearing up for it, like other parts of the country where snow and ice happens all winter long is a waste of money in the long run as the equipment will sit and rust the rest of the time.
That said, Portland recently got hit with 12" of snow and ice in one day and Seattle actually sent plow and sand/salt trucks to help out as we were completely shutdown.
Anyway, if you bring the snow tires, you can sell them here but you'd do better if you were to sell them at the beginning of winter as there is almost always a rush on chains and tires. Worst case, tire socks or chains are always options if you absolutely need to get around and public transit is stopped (which happens often due to the hills, etc.)
To agree with what most people said, it is going to be dependent on where in town you are. In the most populated areas, probably not much of an issue. But the further you get out the more you may want a second set to swap to. I personally live basically downtown and haven't needed any, but I also have a 4wd vehicle with good all seasons on them.
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