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Winters in Ohio can be pretty rough, as we all know…with a foot or two of snow on the ground and cold temperatures that keep that snow in place for weeks at a time. Winter tires can give you a real advantage in difficult winter conditions.

But what makes winter tires so great, anyway?

All-season tires are really a jack of all trades and master of none. They provide a supple and forgiving ride, they’re quiet and they offer good handling, steering response, and road manners. All-season tires have competent traction in wet weather, but unfortunately, they lose their composure when the snow starts to pile up. And that’s when winter tires really shine.

Winter tires aren’t the heavy, noisy “snow tires” or “mud grips” of 40 years ago. They now rival the best all-season and touring tires in terms of noise level, comfort, and road manners.

Here are some key features of winter tires:

--Winter tires use a tread compound that stays flexible in subfreezing weather. A more flexible tire means that its footprint can conform to soft, snowy surfaces better and provide better traction.

--The grooves of winter tires are considerably deeper and “self-clean,” meaning they can eject snow and slush as they turn so there’s always a clean section of tread groove to dig in.

--Winter tires feature a dense network of sipes, tiny hair-thin slits across the tread that offer more surface area and more biting edges for snow and slush.

--Some winter tires come pre-drilled for metal studs; a technician can hammer the studs into place and then remove them later. Studded tires are about the only way to ever have any traction on icy surfaces.

So those are some of the key selling points of winter tires. A word of caution, though—if you use winter tires, remember to change them once the prevailing temperatures get above 40 degrees. Winter tires’ softer tread formulation will wear quickly once the weather warms up.

At Van’s Tires & Service, we stock a great selection of winter tires from top brands like Michelin, Dunlop, Continental and Pirelli. Make an appointment with us and let’s talk!