SASKATOON -- As the city's streets become a song of ice and ire, CTV News at Five host Jeremy Dodge enlisted vehicle expert Jay Thomas for some tips on winter driving.

How hard is winter driving in Saskatoon?

Winter driving can be a challenge, Thomas says.

"Whether you want to get angry at the drivers or the conditions, either way there can be some difficulties at times."

One way to make a commute safer is to install winter tires, he says.

"It's not about how you drive, it's about what the actual tire is made of. I think winter tires give you the ability, in the end, to react to what's going on. Whether that's stopping, or avoiding a collision, or turning around a corner without losing control, that's what it's about."

What makes winter tires different?

For starters, the rubber compound is softer than that of summer or all-season tires, Thomas says.

"Think about a hockey puck, how hard that is, and that slides across the ice surface like nothing. When you make a tire out of nice, soft rubber, a different compound, it allows it to grip the surface of the ice at a microscopic level differently – it's nice and soft."

That softness is also why winter tires can't be used in summer, as they'll wear out quickly.

Winter tires also have criss-crossing edges on the tread that bite into the ice and snow.

When should I put them on?

Manufacturers generally agree winter tires should be installed when the temperature drops below 7 C – the temperature at which all-season tires become less effective, Thomas says.

Should I plug in my vehicle?

The general consensus is to start plugging in vehicles around -15 C, though that can be different for diesel engines or various manufacturers, he said.

"It's about preserving the money you spent on this vehicle."

Do I need to warm up my vehicle?

"The idea of letting your car warm up for half an hour, it comes from the old days when we had carbureted engines and that's not required," Thomas says.

Once temperatures get to the -30 C or -35 C mark, five minutes is enough to get the car's fluids flowing, he says.

"You could technically get in this car right now, it could be cold as heck, and we could fire it up and drive away. Again, that's being a little tough on the car so you might want to let it warm up a little bit."