A few reasons why flats happen to a large degree in winter: Air pressure - Air pressure in your tire gets lower as the temperature drops. This means that a tire inflated at room temperature will have a much lower pressure when ridden near freezing. Lower pressures increase the possibility of pinch flats.
Tire pressure can decrease about 1 PSI (pounds per square inch) for every 10 degrees the temperature drops. It's not due to air escaping, but rather the air inside the tire condenses, taking up less space when it's cold. This is temporary because driving will heat up the tire and increase the tire's pressure.
As the weather changes, so does your tire pressure. This is due to the fact that temperature fluctuations result in air volume changes. When air becomes cooler, it takes up less volume, meaning the air pressure in your tires will decrease.
For safer summer drives, check tire pressure!. If your recommended pressure is 35 PSI, that means 35 PSI before you start driving, notes CarTalk. To get the most accurate reading, check your tire pressure in the morning before hitting the road for the day, and adjust your tires based on that reading.
Lower temperatures mean lower tire pressure, so be prepared to inflate your tires more often during the cold weather months. Cars typically require a tire pressure of 30 to 35 psi (pounds of force per square inch).
Yes, you typically need to inflate your tires in cold weather. As we'll explain, low temperatures often mean low tire pressure, and low tire pressure could mean dangerous driving conditions.
Colder temperatures will cause tire pressure to drop about 1 pound per square inch for every 10° F drop in air temperature. If you don't fill up at home, the warning light may turn off after driving a few miles because of heat building up in the tires.
How does cold weather affect tire inflation? As a rule of thumb, when the temperature decreases by 10°C, tire pressure drops between 0.07 to 0.14 bars or 1 to 2 pounds per square inch (PSI).