Road Runner Mobile Tire Service Ltd
- Tire Shops
0.1 km from Calgary centre
Winter tires in Calgary: when to switch
The usual date from thirty years of Environment and Climate Change Canada records, this week’s forecast, and what a changeover costs.
In Calgary the daily mean temperature typically falls to 7 °C around October 7 and rises above it again around April 30, in Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals for Calgary (Airport). That is 205 days, about 7 months, on winter tires. Listed shops post a changeover on rims at $40 to $109 (checked ).
- Winter tires on
- October 7
- Summer tires back on
- April 30
Get changeover quotes from 121 tire shops in Calgary
Describe the job once. Local shops reply with their own prices.
This week in Calgary
1 of the next 7 days averages 7 °C or below: winter-tire weather.
| Day | High | Low | Mean | At or below 7 °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Sep 30 | 13 | 1 | 7 | Yes |
| Thu, Oct 1 | 14 | 5 | 9.5 | No |
| Fri, Oct 2 | 16 | 4 | 10 | No |
| Sat, Oct 3 | 15 | 3 | 9 | No |
| Sun, Oct 4 | 16 | 7 | 11.5 | No |
| Mon, Oct 5 | 26 | 8 | 17 | No |
| Tue, Oct 6 | 20 | – | – | No |
Mean is the day’s high and the following night’s low, averaged; a dash means the forecast does not reach that night yet. Full forecast for Calgary on weather.gc.ca.
Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada.
How the date is worked out
Transport Canada says that below 7 °C all-season and summer tires begin to lose elasticity, and with it traction. So the question is when a typical day in Calgary stops reaching a 7 °C average, and when it starts again.
ECCC publishes its 1991–2020 normals by month. Each month’s mean is placed at the middle of the month and the days between are joined by a straight line; the switch dates are where that line crosses 7 °C. It is an interpolation, so treat the day as “early October” and “late April” rather than a deadline, and let the forecast above have the last word.
| Month | Daily mean | Daily high | Daily low | Snowfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 11.5 | 18.3 | 4.7 | 2.2 |
| October | 4.9 | 11.1 | −1.3 | 11.5 |
| November | −1.7 | 4.1 | −7.5 | 18.8 |
| March | −2.2 | 3.8 | −8.1 | 23.8 |
| April | 4.5 | 10.8 | −1.9 | 22.9 |
| May | 9.9 | 16.4 | 3.4 | 9.6 |
Do you have to have winter tires?
Not in Alberta. The rules that do reach Calgary drivers are on the roads west of the city and in other provinces.
- Alberta
- Winter tires are not required by law. Alberta Transportation recommends four winter or all-weather tires for driving in severe winter conditions. Source: Alberta Transportation
- Banff, Yoho and Kootenay national parks
- Snow tires or chains are required on the Icefields Parkway (Hwy 93N) and on Hwy 93S in Banff National Park from November 1 to March 31, and on the Trans-Canada (Hwy 1) through Yoho and Hwy 93S through Kootenay from October 1 to April 30, or whenever those roads are snow- or ice-covered. Parks Canada accepts the snowflake or the M+S symbol. Source: Parks Canada
- British Columbia
- Winter tires or chains are required on most signed routes from October 1 to April 30; on some routes outside the mountain passes the requirement ends March 31. BC accepts the M+S marking as the legal minimum, with at least 3.5 mm of tread. Source: Government of British Columbia, Government of British Columbia
- Quebec
- Vehicles registered in Quebec, heavy vehicles and farm machinery aside, must have winter tires from December 1 to March 15 inclusive, and only tires with the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol, or studded tires, count. Source: Tire and Rubber Association of Canada
When shopping, Transport Canada’s advice is to look for the peaked mountain with snowflake symbol, which marks tires that meet a snow traction test, and to fit them as a set of four. The Calgary winter tire guide covers the markings, tread depth and storage.
How much does a changeover cost in Calgary?
It costs less when your winter tires are on their own rims: every shop below that posts both prices charges more to dismount one set of tires and mount the other on the same rims.
| Shop | Swap on rims | Off rims (dismount and remount) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darcy’s AutoServices | $40 | $80, balancing included | Shop’s price list |
| R&A Car Care Center | $40 | Not posted | Shop’s price list |
| Raybern Motors Balancing listed separately, $65 + GST. | $65 + GST | $130 + GST | Shop’s price list |
| Gizmo’s Garage Mobile. | $70 | Not posted | Shop’s price list |
| TireSwaps Mobile: done at your home or office. | $109 | Not posted | Shop’s price list |
Copied as each shop words it: “+ GST” means GST is extra, and a price without it is one whose page does not say. None of these pages gives a season or a date, so confirm the price with the shop; your car, its wheel size and its tire pressure sensors can change it, which is why a price for your car comes as a quote.
Tire shops near Calgary
TireSwaps
- Engine Repair & Diagnostics
- Tire Shops
- Car Detailing
- Auto Glass & Windows
- Auto Electrical & Battery
330 5 Ave SW Suite 1800
0.5 km from Calgary centre
Southwest Auto Service
- Engine Repair & Diagnostics
- Inspection & Maintenance
- Exhaust & Muffler Repair
- Tire Shops
- Oil Change & Fluids
- Auto Electrical & Battery
- Brake Repair
- Suspension & Steering
- Car AC & Heating Repair
2703 14 St SW
2.3 km from Calgary centre
JPAS (JP Auto Services) - Formally CK Auto Care
- Engine Repair & Diagnostics
- Inspection & Maintenance
- Exhaust & Muffler Repair
- Tire Shops
- Oil Change & Fluids
- Brake Repair
- Auto Electrical & Battery
- Car AC & Heating Repair
- Transmission Repair
1803 11 St SE
2.6 km from Calgary centre
Winter tire dates in other cities
Read next
Frequently asked questions
When should I put winter tires on in Calgary?
Once the daily mean temperature stays at or below 7 °C. In the 1991–2020 normals for Calgary (Airport), the station nearest Calgary with published normals, that is around October 7. A cold snap can arrive earlier, so check the forecast on this page before you book.
When can I take winter tires off in Calgary?
The same normals put the daily mean back above 7 °C around April 30. Spring snow is common: April averages 22.9 cm of snowfall at the station, and its average last spring snowfall is May 8, so tires changed before May can still meet snow.
Are winter tires mandatory in Calgary?
No. Alberta has no winter tire law. Parks Canada and British Columbia do require winter tires or chains on some mountain highways, including the Trans-Canada Highway through Yoho National Park, west of Banff, from October 1 to April 30.
How much does a tire changeover cost in Calgary?
It depends on whether your winter tires are already on their own rims. Among shops in this directory that post a price on their website, a swap on rims is $40 to $109 and a dismount-and-remount is $80 to $130. For a price for your car, describe it once and local shops reply with their own.
Sources
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020: Calgary (Airport). Checked 2026-09-29.
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, City page weather forecasts (MSC GeoMet API). Read live, refreshed about once an hour. Checked 2026-09-29.
- Alberta Transportation, Winter tires (PDF). Checked 2026-09-29.
- Parks Canada, Driving in Banff National Park. Checked 2026-09-29.
- Government of British Columbia, Designated winter tire and chain routes. Checked 2026-09-29.
- Government of British Columbia, About winter tires. Checked 2026-09-29.
- Tire and Rubber Association of Canada, Quebec winter tire law. Checked 2026-09-29.
- Transport Canada, Using winter tires. Checked 2026-09-29.
Data Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada. Climate normals and forecasts are used under the ECCC Data Server End-use Licence.