What Is That Light On the Car Dash and Why Is It Coming On In the Winter [VIDEO]

You get in to turn on your car and up pops a light on the dash. What does it mean and why is it on? It's your tire pressure and you can blame the weather.

Tires can become underinflated in cold weather. "When the temperature outside the tire changes, it will affect the pressure inside the tire," according to AccuWeather. "The cold weather will cause the air to contract inside your tire, lowering the pressure and setting off your Tire Pressure Monitoring System."

Cars parked outside rather than in a garage are more likely to be affected.

Check your own tire pressure and adjust as necessary or have your mechanic take a look. If you do it yourself, how do you know how much air to put in? Check your tire PSI, which may be written on the inside of your driver side door. The average PSI is around 32.  Some gas station air compressors allow you to set the PSI and will beep when the tire reaches the proper inflation.

Who needs a man? If changing the tire were only that easy.

MORE: Important Items to Keep In Your Car When It's Cold