Tires: dry rot in tires, cold climate, dry rot

Question
I have been told that my tires on a 2001 Ford have dry rot.  These are the originals as far as I know.  I do not see cracks, but I do trust the dealer about this. Is there any way to know how much time I have before I absolutely must get the new tires?  I do not drive very much.  There is about 40,000 miles on this car.
Thank you.

Answer
Dell,

When it comes to dry rot, there is no way to be sure how much time you have left before something bad happens.

But consider this.

There are been recent announcement from car manufacturers and tire manufacturers concerning the age of tires - that tires can become too old to use even if they haven't been used at all.

It seems to come down to how hot it is.  If you live in a hot climate (AZ, CA, NM, NV, TX and FL) then the limit seems to be 6 years.  If you live in a cold climate (MT, MN, ND, WI, etc.), then the limit seems to be 10 years.  States in between are ....ah.... in between.

Hope this helps.