I live in the Berkshires where we get roughly six feet of snow a year (not all at one time!) and it's time to get my car new tires. I don't want snow tires, so it's all season or all weather tires that I'm considering. All weather is better for traction in wet, icy conditions, all season is better for performance (and gas mileage, too, I think). I'm a safe driver, I don't speed, I don't run lights, and my job is less than four miles from home. Am I okay with the all season tires?
And we have AWD vehicles.
I live in the Saratoga area and have no issues with them here, or when I need to go to Vermont.
Do you have any steep slopes - say more than 5-degrees - to handle? How is the snow plowing in your area? Do they do a good job on the roads? Are you lazy about clearing your driveway?
Do you ever tow anything in the winter?
How much winter driving experience do you really have now?
What's the coldest temperature that you normally see?
A tire with an open shoulder pattern - that is, a non-continuous edge to the tread - will also provide significantly more traction, but you rarely see this in an all season or all weather tire. If you do, this tire will also be a little more noisy and a little less efficient on gas. But it will really help traction and steering in snow conditions.
Some tires have better traction ratings than others. Look up the Uniform Tire Grading information to educate yourself on traction and mileage estimates on various tires. The information you need to review is molded into the side walls of the tires.
Considering your temperature range and subtle elevation changes, I'd stay away from some of the more efficient tires that I'd use on flatlands in in really cold weather when the snow actually gets sticky and traction improves. (Traction on ice and especially snow improves as the temperature drops and is incredibly good at 40 below zero.)
That's my two cents on it.
Michelin CrossClimate.
Look at the ratings. It is great in the snow, rain and dry. First tire I found that does everything well. It completely changed the way my prius handled in the winter in Massachusetts.
I got on tire rack and had shipped to my autobody. They put it on and I will never by a different tire brand.
Best tire ever - ( New Window )
And we have AWD vehicles.
I'm in the Finger Lakes area myself, and after the first winter that I tried out winter tires, I couldn't go another without. Such a difference with snow and hills.
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who still do the changeover to snow tires.
And we have AWD vehicles.
I'm in the Finger Lakes area myself, and after the first winter that I tried out winter tires, I couldn't go another without. Such a difference with snow and hills.
There is a saying, spend money on things between you and the ground.
It’s a huge difference. When I buy a vehicle I buy snows on steel rims to switch out. Awd/4wd will help you push through but doesn’t help you stop.
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who still do the changeover to snow tires.
And we have AWD vehicles.
I'm in the Finger Lakes area myself, and after the first winter that I tried out winter tires, I couldn't go another without. Such a difference with snow and hills.
I do the same, best of both worlds. I bought a 2WD A4 when I lived in Texas and the snow tires make it so it’s not an issue even in bad snow when I’m in the ADK. Then swap them out for the rest of the year.
I bought the wheels too to make it easy.
as a snow tire. The sidewalls are a little soft so they're not a great dry weather performance tire but fine year round for an SUV.
If you want something more sporty then Continental Extreme Contacts are pretty good in snow. I have them on a RWD sport sedan. They do quite well as long as the snow isn't too deep.