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WEATHER ALERT
Frank Billingsley, Chief Meteorologist
Amanda Cochran, Digital Special Projects Manager
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Frank Billingsley, Chief Meteorologist
Amanda Cochran, Digital Special Projects Manager
All the talk about pipes, plants, pools, pets and people this week and I haven’t heard a word about those four important players in your life — your tires! So with that in mind, I’ve brought back a blog about keeping you safe on the roads! This blog is from October when our temperatures dropped into the 30s and 40s! Well…..herewith….
You may be noticing the old yellow warning light coming on in your car today! That PSI warning for your tires refers to the air pressure inside the tire measured by “per square inch” and usually that is in the upper 30s or low 40s.
So what happens? Pretty simple — hot air expands and cold air contracts, including the air inside your tires. So on a day like today, that cold air in your tires contracts so that the pressure drops. In fact, for every 10° drop in temperatures, the pressure can drop one to two pounds per square inch! Considering we were 57° yesterday and are 17° today, that will drop your air pressure considerably! And the problem with best-case scenario is that with a drop of only three to five pounds PSI, you might not get that warning light, yet you still have underinflated tires. But you get no warning!
That’s important because underinflated tires can be dangerous. According to Cars.com and the Rubber Manufacturers Association, underinflated tires can lead to tire failure. Low tire pressure results in added tire stress and irregular wear, which the agency cautions could lead to a loss of control and accidents. And looks are deceiving. “A tire can lose up to half of its air pressure and not appear to be flat,” the Rubber Manufacturers Association said in a statement.
The best thing to do is simply check the tire air pressure and make sure it’s up to the recommended PSI, which is usually found on a sticker in the door panel or in the owner’s manual. You can read more from Cars.com right here.
Good luck with this cold snap! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I’m out next week and will see you in 2023!
Frank
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Copyright 2022 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
KPRC 2's chief meteorologist with three decades of experience forecasting Houston's weather.
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Amanda Cochran is an Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist. She specializes in Texas features, consumer and business news and local crime coverage.
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