Need help with winter tires

[Altitude]

I will say that the “3 peak snowflake” rating is a little misleading on all-season tires. That rating is about void space in the tread, and it speaks to the tire’s ability to maintain traction in heavy snow, similar to the way it does in sand or mud.

That’s not nothing, but it’s not the same as a tire’s ability to maintain pliability in cold temperatures and doesn’t consider siping patterns in the tread that help it keep surface area contact on ice and packed snow.

Frankly, the “3 peak snowflake” tires I’ve had did not feel any better on a snowpacked highway than the Michelin Defenders I had that did not have that designation.

 

[LCNorth]

All depends where you live. Ontario’s a big province. In the south, studs are totally unnecessary and why they’re banned. “Up north” as we say, “roads” are made of hard pack ice until spring. Studs are allowed up there.

Almost everywhere in Ontario, proper winter tires make sense. Only Windsor consistently sees super mild winters. Canada’s most southerly city.

 

[Altitude]

All depends where you live. Ontario’s a big province. In the south, studs are totally unnecessary and why they’re banned. “Up north” as we say, “roads” are made of hard pack ice until spring. Studs are allowed up there.

Almost everywhere in Ontario, proper winter tires make sense. Only Windsor consistently sees super mild winters. Canada’s most southerly city.

South of Detroit, even. Been there many times.

 

[Neil G]

Not sure where you have to live these days for studded tires to make sense as a use case.

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where I live. We don't get a ton of snow here but what falls stays as once winter sets in we don't get enough above freezing weather to do any sort of real melting until March. The city only plows the side streets once or twice a year, so they get pretty bad. When the weather gets really cold the packed down snow gets worn into sheer ice in a lot of places. So I have several friends who run studded tires and like them.

Even so, not sure I'd want the studs for this vehicle that's going to see a lot of highway miles on bare pavement in winter. My experience with studless winters is that they are good enough.

 

[Skidaddl]

I will say that the “3 peak snowflake” rating is a little misleading on all-season tires. That rating is about void space in the tread, and it speaks to the tire’s ability to maintain traction in heavy snow, similar to the way it does in sand or mud.

That’s not nothing, but it’s not the same as a tire’s ability to maintain pliability in cold temperatures and doesn’t consider siping patterns in the tread that help it keep surface area contact on ice and packed snow.

Frankly, the “3 peak snowflake” tires I’ve had did not feel any better on a snowpacked highway than the Michelin Defenders I had that did not have that designation.

Agreed. These 3 peak rated tires are all-season tires, not winter specific. The difference is absolutely night and day.