Should You Air your Tires in Freezing Temperatures in WA?

Does this happen to you? I can almost plan on it happening to me every time the temperature drops in Yakima. I'm often less concerned if my car will start in colder weather but wondering if my tire will go flat enough for the tire sensor will light up.

So far, this week alone, I've had it happen 3 times. Twice with the same tire.

It's happened so often and I probably complained about it out lout often enough that Facebook started advertising a portable air pump that I was suckered into buying (but glad I did because it does actually work).

But when it gets super cold, I was a little cautious as I wasn't sure if it was so cold that my tires would just stretch and pop and break.

Why does the tire sensor light up? My tires feel fine

I do the touch test, too. I mean, it doesn't look flat but that light sure isn't going away. Well, the colder it gets, the more molecules get closer so you could lose some of that PSI in your tires depending on how cold it is. Think of it like water becoming ice. Then when it warms up, the ice melts back to water. The cold clusters of molecules can expand again and maybe you've noticed the light sensor come on and you think 'I'll deal with it after work' but then after work the light sensor is gone. Kinda like that. Firestone has more info on why.

Is it safe to air your tires in freezing temperatures?

The good news is Yes.

Yeah, you're cool.

Feel free to swing by your local air pump at local gas stations or places like Firestone or Jiffy Lube who can air tires for you. If you have your own, that's fine, too. Still remember to air them to manufacturer's recommendations.