Cold Weather Affects Tire Pressure
The lingering chill in
the morning air here in the Blue Ridge Mountains is a reminder of the need to
check your tire pressure. The ambient
temperature outside directly affects cold tire pressure.
How Does Cold Weather Affect Tire Pressure?
From physics, the ideal gas law states that PV = nRT, where P is absolute
pressure, T is absolute temperature, V is the volume (assumed to
be relatively constant in the case of a tire), and nR is constant for a
given number of molecules of gas.
In plain English what
that means for you is that your tires lose about 1 to 1.5 psi for every 10 degrees of
temperature change.
For example, if your
tires are at a 32 psi setting on an 85-degree Fahrenheit
day in the summer, they will lose 5 to 7.5 psi on a 35-degree Fahrenheit winter
morning.
Remember to always
check tire pressure when the tires are cold (before the vehicle has been driven
for any long distance).
