Best Tires for Winter Driving and Safety

That’s the question many car owners ask as the last of the leaves fall and the ice scrapers come out. It’s an important question, since tires are the most crucial safety component of any car. But often that question leads to comparisons of winter tires, or even snow tires. Are winter tires always the best tires for winter driving? Does that even make sense? We’ll try to clear this up.

If you’re wondering what winter tires actually are, check out our blog post on the differences between summer, winter, and all-season tires. Basically, winter tires stay softer in the colder months, allowing you better traction. Some winter tires, labeled snow tires, are even designed with chunkier tread blocks to cut through snow and ice. 

But, are winter tires the best tires for winter?

Well, that depends on several factors. First, what does “winter” look like to you. If you’re reading this in Fargo, North Dakota, snow tires are probably the best choice for you. That place gets almost 50 inches of snow every year, so a clear daily commute in the winter is the exception, rather than the rule.
It’s much more likely, however, that you’re reading this in or around Kansas City or Dallas, our two service areas (so far). What does winter look like where you are? KC only averages about 15 inches of snow per year, usually across 3-4 storms. Snow also has a tendency to melt within a day or so. Dallas, only gets one inch per year, if that.  

Snow tires are probably off the table, then. Yes, they’ll come in handy for those few days you actually see snow, but snow is rare enough in these areas that many activities actually shut down and you won’t need to drive anywhere at all. Offices close, parties are cancelled, and you might not even have anywhere to go.
Perhaps, though, you’re a delivery or Uber driver. Business booms during snow days. It might be worth it for you to have a second set of wheels and tires for those days.

Snow tires are out, so, what about winter tires?

The average winter temperatures in Kansas City all feature highs above freezing. It’s rare for a day to stay frosty past the morning. You may want a set of winter tires if you commute in the frigid mornings. This is a good reminder to pay special attention to optimum operating temperatures when searching reviews for the tires you want. (As for Dallas, the average high never drops below 55, so you probably won’t need winter tires.)
If you are looking for winter tires, try to find location-based reviews. It’s easy enough to find one set that’s rated more highly than others, but you might not need that same level of winter tire performance in your area. 

In fact, the more specific you can get during your search, the better. Tires are a complex field, with many variables. Try to find reviews of tires on a vehicle with a similar weight to your own. Pay attention to how many miles the reviewer drives every winter. On the other end of the year, sometimes customers will buy a super soft performance summer tire, surprised to find it degrading quickly over their 80-mile daily commute. Summer rubber isn’t always suited to heavy use, and a touring tire will often be a better choice for such demands.
So perhaps all-season tires are more cost-effective than winter tires, depending on your area. But one characteristic that both Dallas and Kansas City winters share is precipitation. Even if it doesn’t freeze, rain is still much more common in the colder months. And that means you need fresh tread. Check out our article on how to measure your tread depth to see if you’re due for a fresh set of tires before winter hits. Not only will they improve icy road safety, they’ll give you better grip in the rain as well, preventing hydroplaning and other low-traction events.

If you’re ready for new tires, you don’t have to go out in the cold to get them. Simply order them online, and Zohr will install them at your home or office, usually within a single business day. Schedule your mobile tire installation with us today!