Snow tires or All Season Radials (Washington, Pittsburg: insurance, daycare, deductible)

[Dwatted Wabbit]

IMO it depends on the area. We were in Merrimack and in Nashua-Concord corridor snow removal is pretty quick. Within a day or two of even big snow, the stuff is usually salted down to its deathbed. We ran all seasons and did fine.
Massatooshts is another matter. My wife commuted down there, and their snow removal process was much more random and informal. I run snows now, Blizzak Revo1, and they make a huge difference in slick conditions. I've never heard of Green Mountain tires, Green Mountain coffee yes, but if they work and the price is right I'd sure look at them. They are most likely a branded tire, built by one of the major makers. I don't know of any tire manufacturers in VT, but you learn something every day.

Up north, where there is more snow (except this year, I guess) and colder freezes, probably more folks run snows year round.

[smarty]

I think most people get mixed up between SNOW and ICE.

If you have ice, the only thing that will give you traction is studded snow tire. The metal stud will do the job. Regular snow tire helps only a little in icy areas. Snow tires are not rated for speed!! If you look at the commercials, they do not say you can go 70mph in regular highways when there are snow/ice. They only show roads with no other cars around.

Please do not think you are invincible if you have 4WD, AWD or snow tire! Please be sensible.

[nhyrnut]

Originally Posted by Dwatted Wabbit

IMO it depends on the area. We were in Merrimack and in Nashua-Concord corridor snow removal is pretty quick. Within a day or two of even big snow, the stuff is usually salted down to its deathbed. We ran all seasons and did fine.
Massatooshts is another matter. My wife commuted down there, and their snow removal process was much more random and informal. I run snows now, Blizzak Revo1, and they make a huge difference in slick conditions. I've never heard of Green Mountain tires, Green Mountain coffee yes, but if they work and the price is right I'd sure look at them. They are most likely a branded tire, built by one of the major makers. I don't know of any tire manufacturers in VT, but you learn something every day.

Up north, where there is more snow (except this year, I guess) and colder freezes, probably more folks run snows year round.

That is because they are Green DIAMOND tires NOT green Mountain. LOL PPL have this thing with VT here lol. VT gets snow but they don'tr make tires they make taxes. lol

[Dwatted Wabbit]

Originally Posted by smarty

I think most people get mixed up between SNOW and ICE.

If you have ice, the only thing that will give you traction is studded snow tire. The metal stud will do the job. Regular snow tire helps only a little in icy areas. Snow tires are not rated for speed!! If you look at the commercials, they do not say you can go 70mph in regular highways when there are snow/ice. They only show roads with no other cars around.

Please do not think you are invincible if you have 4WD, AWD or snow tire! Please be sensible.

Beg to differ on that. Where we live now they plow, when they get to it, and they use liquid de-icer and later gravel. No salt. On many side streets, the plows will take a lick and that's the last you see of them. So the remaining and additional snow gets packed down into a nice ice glaze that is slick as not on a doorknob. That's when I ordered the snows. I've never run them before, including heavy winters in Michigan. But the ice glaze, for miles and miles on secondary roads, was too much. Yes, there is a difference between ice and snow.
Lots of folks around here run studs from October-April. We get rutted main roads as a result, it's like crossing three or four heavy boat wakes when you go across a major highway.
I have found the dedicated Bridgestone snows are such an improvement over the all seasons that I feel no need for studs, and I wouldn't use them unless I lived on a frozen lake all winter. They grip ice in a remarkable way, you have to feel it to believe it. Snow tire tech has come a long way.
As for the 4Wdrives, usually they are the first in the ditch because the drivers think they are immune to slick conditions.
It's surprising that so many people forget what "slick road" means over the summer. Every summer.

[Patricia Veach]

I drive a Toyota Corolla and in the winter I use Cooper Snowmaster Snow tires that are also studded. They are awesome, and aren't the most expensive tires on the planet. You just have to pay a few more dollars to get them studded, but it's well worth the few extra dollars to get the extra traction. I only run my winter tires December through February

[WannaComeHome]

Ok, something I've always wondered: how do you decide WHEN to switch to snow tires? I mean, if you wait until after it snows, then it's too late. If you wait for the forecast... it may or may not and wouldn't everyone be getting thier tires done (for those who can do it themselves)? Last year it didn't really snow until January (at least down south), so putting them on in Nov has you driving around for a couple of months...

Is there a problem with driving around on snow tires when there isn't any snow? Sorry, I've never had to deal with this as an adult and I'm kinda wondering how people decide.

[GregW]

I use 4 Cooper Snowmasters on the AWd Subaru and the traction is just fantastic. The worn all season radials on my old Buick wagon require some real concentration todrive well but the car is a great so long as i don't try to start, stop or steer.

[Yankeehombre]

I am lazy about pulling snows off my pickup, since I also haul a 4300 lb.camping trailer and find them useful on soft ground at any time of year. since theres no significant difference in the cost of snows, I just run them out, rather than bearing the expense + trouble (storage, balancing fees)of changing back to regular tires. Also rear tires do not wear significantly thru the summer. Studded snows are quite helpful but are only allowed November thru April, due to some myth about damaging the road surface. Our state legislature is only paid travel expenses, but there is no salary, so the only people who can aford to serve are "blue hairs" that have already retired, giving us an array of zany state laws.

[GregW]

Studded tires do wear the pavement far more than regular or snow tires. Besides you haven't experienced running into a sharp off ramp on a wet road with studded snow tires. it got a little exciting for amoment until I gathered it up. Much less traction than non-studded tires.

The tire store in downtown Nashua changes my tires for $7 each. I keep two sets of tires mounted on rims. Aluminum for summer, steel for winter. The steelies cost $20 ea at a local junk yard and a coat of black rustoleum makes then look newish.

[remember-voltaire]

I like what they do oin norway and because they do it then the area is always white and beautiful

they put on these chains on their wheels and they have no problem getting around plus there's no salt to corrode the undercarriage