What Makes a Tire a Winter Tire?

Driving in winter can be tough, not to mention stressful, if you live in a state frequently blanketed by snow and ice. Even if you don’t live in an area that’s prone to snowy winters, it can still happen unexpectedly, or you may want to visit family that does. Either way, it’s best to know a little bit about winter tires, because you’ll never know when you’ll need them!

A good set of winter tires can definitely come in handy! Unlike all-season tires, winter tires (or “snow tires”) are specifically designed to grip the road better in winter weather. They’re designed to make driving in wintry conditions safer, increasing the traction and reducing slip, both of which can make a big difference for winter driving. But what makes a winter tire special? How is it different from just using an all-season tire?

It’s all about specialization! Let’s take a look at special details that make them ideal for conquering roads from December to March:

• Winter Compound: Snow tires are usually made with a special winter compound that’s formulated to provide more grip on icy and snowy roads. This compound is usually a bit softer than the one in all-season tires. As rubber tends to harden when it’s cold, this ensures the winter tires stay soft and therefore maintain a better grip.
• Winter Tread: Along with having a softer rubber compound, winter tires usually have a deeper tread than standard tires, usually featuring sharp, irregular edges on the tread blocks. This just increases the traction more, partly by letting snow collect in the deep grooves because packed snow grips really well on snow. However, they also have a lot of smaller sipes over the tread, kind of like the bottom of a winter boot, to add more grip. What’s more is that the gripping power of the tread allows better braking in winter, whereas all-season tires can either lock up or slide, especially when braking quickly.
• More Siping: I mentioned them briefly above, but tire sipes are the little slits (usually cut at 90-degree angles) across the tire tread. The increased number of sipes and their irregular (usually squiggly) shapes act to create more traction, as I said above, like the bottom of a winter boot. It’s the same principal. This improves the performance in all conditions, but especially on ice. That little bit of traction can make a big difference.
• Studs: If your state allows it, some winter tires can be studded. This means the tires have spots for little metal studs on strategic parts of the tread. These studs add traction, especially on ice, and help dig into snow covered roads (kind of like when you put chains on your tires). They’re not allowed everywhere, though, so be sure to check your local regulations.

While these details give snow tires a definite advantage in winter weather, it should be noted that they’re designed for use only in winter weather. This is because of that winter compound I mentioned. It’s designed softer so that it remains soft after the temperature drops. When it gets warm, it stays really soft and gets worn down very quickly due to its increased contact with the road. So then why should you buy them when you can use all-season tires year round? Besides the obvious benefit of safer, easier winter driving, it can also make your all season tires last longer. Think about it: if you change them out for the harsh winter conditions, they won’t be bombarded with road salt and cold temperatures. Plus you won’t be driving on them for a few months! That’s more time you can spend driving on them the rest of the year, all while guaranteeing yourself a safer winter drive.

If winter tires are something you’re interested in, you can browse our winter selection in our Priority Tire online tire shop. If you’re not sure what winter tire to go with (and there can be a lot of options), a popular and well-respected winter brand is Nokian Tire. They’re a Finnish brand (a country that’s very familiar with snow) and they actually developed the first-ever winter tire, so it’s a pretty safe bet for a quality winter tire. 

Different types of car tires are available on the tire market for sale. Whether winter tires are the best choice for you, depends on multiple factors. Check out our blog to learn more!