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If you have to deal with an inch or two of snow a few times a year, that’s not really such a big deal, right? But what about heavy snow or an ice storm? Will your all-season tires get you through when things are that bad?

All-season tires are a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none sort of compromise.  Here’s a list of bullet points on what you can expect with all-season tires:

--All-season tires excel when it comes to long service life and tread life. All-season tires also generally tend to have good ride quality and road manners, low noise and excellent handling and steering response.

--Newer all-season tire designs use low-rolling-resistance rubber compounds for enhanced fuel economy

--The asymmetric tread design of all-season tires is designed for traction on wet or dry surfaces

Now, as for winter tires…

--Deeper, more aggressive tread pattern and grooves on winter tires help dig into snowy surfaces, yet are designed to prevent snow buildup in grooves and tread elements

--Rubber formulation stays flexible at low temperatures for better control and traction

--Most winter tires also feature sipes, a network of slits that are barely bigger than a human hair. Sipes provide thousands of extra biting edges to help your tires dig into snow and ice.

--Many winter tires are pre-drilled to make it easy to install studs. While studs are illegal or restricted in many states, they can be the only thing that allows your tires to get traction on treacherous ice.

--Unlike the heavy, clunky, noisy “snow tires” or “mud grips” of a generation ago, today’s winter tires deliver a ride quality and noise level that rivals the best all-season tires

There’s a definite downside to winter tires, however. Their soft rubber formulation means that they will wear pretty quickly in warmer weather, and should be changed when prevailing daily temperatures are above 40 degrees or so.

Is it maybe time to consider a set of winter tires for your vehicle? Make an appointment with us at Roadmart, Inc. and find out about our great selection of premium-brand winter tires!