Just my 2 cents, but I tried to use all season tires one year, and found
them
to be inappropriate and dangerous, whether on snow or ice.

In cold country, I would not be without winter tires.

2001 Chev Prizm. I ran snow tires on the front for the last seven years.
I now find that my old snows are no good. My regular tires are all
season radials and I do very little driving in the winter - never during
storms. My driving is all on well maintained country roads. Do I
really need snow tires?

                 ---MIKE---

2001 Chev Prizm. I ran snow tires on the front for the last seven years.
I now find that my old snows are no good. My regular tires are all
season radials and I do very little driving in the winter - never during
storms. My driving is all on well maintained country roads. Do I
really need snow tires?

=================================================

I think that depends on your driving abilities, the quality of the
all-season tires (IE, if you got the set for $50, I would get winters), and
your own preference.  I'm in Ontario, and we get some bad storms in winter,
and I have never used winter tires.  A car I bought several years ago came
with them (from the previous owner), and I took them off and put on a good
set of all-seasons as soon as I got it home.  If you are that used to the
winters, then perhaps it is a good idea to get a new set, but like I said,
that's a personal preference.

Since you apparently do not drive in deep or unplowed snow very often, If I
were you I would buy "Winter" tires rather than snow tires.  Unlike "All
Season" tires, "Winter" tires are made with rubber more like a motorcycle
tires that work very well at temperatures below 20 degrees and are more
secure on wet and icy roads.  Just stay away for Bridgestone winter tires,
they are way overpriced and not as good as others on the market.

2001 Chev Prizm. I ran snow tires on the front for the last seven years.
I now find that my old snows are no good. My regular tires are all
season radials and I do very little driving in the winter - never during
storms. My driving is all on well maintained country roads. Do I
really need snow tires?

                 ---MIKE---

2001 Chev Prizm. I ran snow tires on the front for the last seven years.
I now find that my old snows are no good. My regular tires are all
season radials and I do very little driving in the winter - never during
storms. My driving is all on well maintained country roads. Do I
really need snow tires?

=====================================================

I live in upstate NY where we get approximately 300" of snow per year.  I
have not put a set of snow tires on a car since 1970.  I live in a very
rural area and drive a lot of miles per year.  I've never had one bit of
trouble with good all season radials on our cars.  My plow truck does not
even have snows on it.

There are many who think highly of snow tires and would not be without them,
but if you look around you, you'll see that the vast majority of the cars on
the road are doing just fine without them.

Today's "snow" tires are really winter tires.

The rubber compound grips much better in lower temperatures.  I bought a
set of Micheline X-Ice 2 years ago and the difference is very
noticeable.  All season tires freeze up quickly and slide much more on
very cold surfaces.  In Ontario, we get long stretches of sub-zero temps
 and winter tires work well.

If the temperature in your area doesn't go below freezing for long
periods of time, you probably will do fine with all seasons though.

2001 Chev Prizm. I ran snow tires on the front for the last seven years.
I now find that my old snows are no good. My regular tires are all
season radials and I do very little driving in the winter - never during
storms. My driving is all on well maintained country roads. Do I
really need snow tires?

                 ---MIKE---

Here in New England the roads are usually well maintained and plowed
promptly.  I've not used snow tires since the early 70's and never had a
problem.  On the day the snow is falling they may help but the next day the
road is usually pretty well cleared.  On glare ice, studs are the only thing
worth while for help.  My '62 Corvair was great in the snow.  Screw Nader

I've used  Michelin all season tires since 1984 on FWD cars with very
good success.
Over those years Michelin all seasons have improved significantly, each
time I get a new set the traction is better.
Previous to that I had RWD and found studded winter tires best.

The  winter conditions when driving to west coast Canada ski hills often
goes from wet (+3°C) to ice and  wet snow to dry snow (-8°C) all within
a two hr drive, with several hills for a 2,000 ft elevation gain in the
last hour.
A few times I've been stopped on ice in stopped traffic, then moved off
with  no wheel spin on an upgrade.  VERY gentle one must be!
With many years of winter driving under my belt, I must say how one
drives is as important as the tires. I find automatic much better for
gentle power application than a stick shift. I have about equal years
with both types of transmission.
This winter I have a newer car with traction control, I expect it will
be of advantage when starting off.  We'll see.  Up till now I've been
using the brakes lightly to avoid one wheel spinning when starting off.

Passing several cars on the long steep hill leaving our area, in 25cm of
new  unplowed snow is my smiling memory of snow driving last year.
I can't remember how many times I've had to pull into deeper snow to
pass upscale RDW cars such as BMWs which suddenly bog down on our city
roads, which occasionally get significant snow. I assume they just had
their typical high speed summer tires on.