If you were driving anywhere in the Hudson Valley this weekend, it's likely that your tire pressure light went on.

Well, if it did, you're not alone. Thousands of other drivers in the Hudson Valley got the same alert on their dashboards. So what's going on?

It's easy to jump to some crazy conclusions about why everyone is experiencing the same tire pressure issues. Has there been some strange disturbance in the earth's atmosphere? Are packs of wild children pulling their Halloween pranks early and letting the air out of everyone's tires at once? Did the president press the wrong button on his new national alert system and somehow tap into our dashboards?

They're all good guesses, but the real reason cars in the Hudson Valley are alerting their drivers is something a little less sinister. It turns out that your low tire pressure can be blamed on the Hudson Valley weather.

That's right, the recent cold snap we've been experiencing has been wreaking havoc on your tire pressure. According to Goodyear, cold temperatures will decrease your tire pressure at a rapid rate. In fact, for every 10 degrees of temperature drop, tires will drop 1-2 pounds of pressure. Considering that it was in the 80s just last week and now we're falling below 40 at night, it's no wonder tire pressures are dropping all over the Hudson Valley.

The good news is that low tire pressure is a pretty easy fix. But it's important to address the issue when it pops up. Not only will proper tire pressure keep that annoying light on your dashboard from turning on, it will help you maintain proper traction, handling and protect the durability of your tires.

Goodyear says that not inflating your tires to the proper PSI can lead to the following problems:

  • Increased treadwear on the outer edges of your tire.
  • Excessive heat generated by driving with low pressure, which can age your tires faster.
  • Reduced fuel economy. Soft tires make your engine work harder, causing it to use more gas.

So, if your tire pressure light came on this weekend, don't worry. It's not likely that you have a leak. But, it's important to get those tires to the proper pressure soon to avoid any problems in the future.

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