Snow tires: what are they, and do you need them?

Snow Tires There’s no worse time to drive than when roads are frozen over with snow and ice. It doesn’t matter how good of a driver you think you are. Freezing temperatures cause the rubber on standard tires to harden and become brittle, resulting in less of a grip on the roadway. It doesn’t take much for a vehicle with standard tires to lose control in winter driving conditions. Remember, it’s just four postcard-sized patches of tire that provide all the traction for your vehicle.

Studded tires are always a great way to go for road conditions that are dangerous because of snow. Those pins of hard plastic actually dig into the hard-packed snow and ice that can cover roadways. The only thing you need to remember is that many states require that studded tires be removed by a certain calendar date so as not to unnecessarily damage roadways.

Snow tires give added traction when driving in snow and ice. How are these different than normal tires? For starters, snow tires have deep, aggressive treads for gripping harsh road surfaces. These tread patterns are crucial for helping vehicles stop, start and steer on snowy and slick roadways. However, these aggressive treads would be useless if made from the same rubber as standard all-season tires; when cold weather causes rubber to harden, the tire loses its ability to grip the snowy roadway. That’s why snow tires are made from softer rubber compounds that retain their sticky, flexible qualities even in frigid temperatures.

What about all-season tires?

All-season tires are ideal for dry and wet driving conditions. Under mild winter conditions, all-season tires are passable for driving short distances in snow. However, driving in winter conditions is much safer if you have snow tires on your vehicle. As stated above, all-season tires can harden and lose their traction when temperatures dip below freezing. That’s a non-issue with snow tires.

Driving on ice and snow is risky. Once you lose traction – which is easy to do without snow tires – then you’re at the mercy of velocity and gravity. Snow tires give you the best chance of reaching your destinations safely during winter driving conditions.

If you absolutely must use all-season tires, it is wise to keep snow chains for your tires in the boot of your car or truck just in case.

Tips on Snow Tires

One thing to look for with snow tires is that they need to have a little mountain snowflake symbol on them so you know that they're snow tires (although this is for the novice who's never purchased them before.) Many cheaper snow tires actually out-perform their more expensive counterparts. Snow tires generally perform well and last at least two seasons (they wear quickly because they have a soft compound. ) You want to read some reviews and look for tires that are good in both snow and ice if that's the environment you are slated to face. Many people from the Northeast have certain brand names that they prefer, such as Winterforce and the Cooper Weathermaster. You want whatever design you get to not pack that much snow, and this can make for somewhat dangerous condtitions.

Get separate wheels for your snow tires

When you buy snow tires, your best option is to have the tires mounted on four new (or used) wheels. This allows you to change the wheels on your car – which only takes a few minutes – when you anticipate driving in snowy weather. Some people leave their snow tires on their vehicles throughout the winter, while others may change out their wheels for a weekend ski trip.

Snow tires aren’t meant to be driven for long periods of time under normal driving conditions. The rubber compounds of snow tires are softer, meaning the tires will wear down faster in warm weather. Plus, the aggressive treads of snow tires create additional road noise when driving on dry roads. That’s why we strongly recommend mounting your snow tires on separate wheels and only using them as needed.