Winter Snow Tires
To give optimum grip at temperatures below 7 C, winter tires have a rubber compound that stays soft and flexible, and aggressive tread blocks that bite snow and ice. If you face cold temperatures and heavy, hard-packed snow, winter tires provide the most reliable performance and safety.
In fact, The Tire Hub Testing results showed even a 75% worn premium winter tire stopped nearly 3 metres sooner than a new 3-season tire—so, you enjoy better braking and cornering on snow and ice throughout the life of your winter tire.
While many drivers assume that regular all-season tires are just fine for year-round driving, that’s only true if you live in a temperate climate. If you live where it snows – or your area experiences routine sub-40 degree Fahrenheit temperatures – a set of dedicated winter tires will dramatically improve your safety during the coldest months.
While brand new all-season tires can provide reasonable traction during the winter, their performance is roughly equivalent to half-worn snow tires, says Rastetter. Half-worn all-season tires, on the other hand, are unsuitable for winter driving in snow and on icy roads.
Winter tires gain their advantage not only because they have superior tread patterns that are designed for traction on ice and snow, but because they employ softer rubber compounds to enhance grip. That means when it’s cold, whether it’s on dry pavement, snow, or slush, it’ll outperform an all-season. This is also why winter tires are not suitable for summer, warm-weather driving, as their softer rubber and more open tread pattern will wear rapidly – when temperatures climb above 40 degrees regularly, swap them out for summer or all-season tires. Likewise, low-profile summer performance tires are terrible in cold temperatures. All-season tires compromise their winter ability in order to be used during the summer.
Remember: they’re not only for snow. They work better anytime it’s cold. That’s why it’s better to think of them as winter tires.