Navigating snowy roads safely and effectively often hinges on the performance of your tires. This guide delves into practical tips and insights on enhancing the snow performance of all-season tires.
This comprehensive guide covers both angles: enhancing the snow performance of your existing all-season tires and selecting new ones that excel in winter conditions.
Table of Contents
Improving Snow Performance with Existing All-Season Tires
Let’s first explore how to maximize the snow capabilities of the tires you currently have, before delving into what to look for when buying new all-season tires with superior snow performance.
Tire Maintenance
For snow, a depth of at least 6/32 inches is recommended for better traction. Tires with shallower treads have a significantly reduced ability to grip snowy surfaces.
This basically hampers the tires’ snow scooping abilities, so less snow is paddled backwards, and in result, less acceleration gets generated.
Another thing about maintenance here is to ensure tire pressure is optimal, as with colder weathers.
For most tires, the rule of thumb is that for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit (about 5.6 degrees Celsius) change in temperature, tire pressure will change by approximately 1 psi (pound per square inch).
Generally lower air pressure is bad for traction on snow, as that increases contact patch with the ground, which you don’t want on this terrain. That’s why narrower tires do best here.
Adding Vehicle Weight
Placing weight in the trunk or rear of the vehicle (especially for rear-wheel-drive cars) improves traction on snow a little bit.
This is because of two things, one, the weight is more evenly distributed, and two, with more weight, tires are able to put more pressure on the ground, trapping snow particles in their voids, with more ease.
This facilitates to snow-to-snow contact, which is highly needed as snow particles like to stick more to each other instead of rubber.
Side Note: You can use sandbags or purpose-made weights, you know about (do let me know in comments below). Though make sure, they are securely fastened to prevent shifting during driving, which could affect vehicle stability. And yes it can also affect your all-season tire’s fuel economy.
Traction Aids
Although its an obvious point here, but I should still mention it that, you can utilize snow chains or traction mats for additional grip in heavy snow conditions.
For snow chairs, ensure, they are of correct size, and installing them, well you’d find couple of videos on them for sure.
As for traction mats, they are used when you are stuck in snow. You just place them under your wheels (as much as you can), and they aid you in getting out.
Snow Socks Installation
Using textile covers over the tires to increase traction in lighter snow conditions.
Snow socks are basically fabric covers that slip over the tire tread, and provide extra grip in light snow conditions. They are a temporary solution for enhanced traction.
They are slightly easier to install, compared to snow chains for sure.
Anti-Skid Treatments
There are some sprays, or coatings designed for tires to improve their grip on snow and ice, as they increase a bit of a friction on slicker roads.
Such treatments are usually temporary and need to be reapplied periodically, especially in consistently snowy conditions, though they can be a useful addition to snow socks, and chains, (in less aggressive tracks, I mean).
Regular Tire Rotation and Alignment
Both regular rotation, and alignment can indirectly affect snow performance, (yes, there’s a difference between them, see here: https://tiredriver.com/tire-rotation-vs-wheel-alignment/).
But how?
Well that’s because they prevent form uneven wear, keeping tread depth even, allowing tire to bite evenly throughout its whole tread area, aiding traction.
Moreover, these factors also prevent faster wearing of the tires, which means, excessive snow is expelled out of the tires in time, avoiding getting stuck.
Improving Driving Habits
These include a lot of points to consider:
- Smooth Maneuvers: Slower speeds and gradual movements prevent loss of control on snow.
- Gentle Braking and Acceleration: Maintains traction and minimizes skidding on snowy surfaces.
- Steady Pace Driving: Consistent speed helps avoid skidding risks in snowy conditions.
- Increased Following Distance: Provides safe stopping distance on snow-covered roads.
- Use Lower Gear in Manual Vehicles: Enhances control on slippery, snowy descents.
Choosing All-Season Tires for Enhanced Snow Performance
Consider following points for choosing the right snow all-season tire for your needs.
Tread Design
When picking out tires for better snow performance, its crucial to consider the 3 tread types.
- Directional Treads: These are often considered the best for snow among the three, primarily due to their V-shaped pattern. This design is excellent at channeling snow and slush away from the tire, reducing the risk of snow build-up and maintaining good traction. That’s why these patterns are mostly common among winter tires.
- Asymmetric Treads: While primarily designed for performance on dry and wet roads, asymmetric treads can be effective in snow if they have adequate siping and appropriate tread block design.
- Symmetric Treads: And same goes for these. Though they are less effective of them all.
Rubber Compound
The rubber compound used in the tire also plays a significant role. In colder temperatures, rubber and biters on them get less flexible, loosing their traction.
That’s why for better snow performance, its best to go for softer rubber compositions, mainly those which are more thermally adaptive.
Tire Weight and Structure
The weight and size of the tire are also important considerations.
Simply put, heavier tires, with narrower section width do slightly better on snow.
This is because, these tires are able to put more pressure on the ground lodging snow particles in their grooves, facilitating snow-to-snow contact, which I’ve already explained above.
Moreover, you also need tires with more in number sipes and grooves, preferably snow vices, (like seen on Potenza RE980AS+).
This again facilitates the snow contact.
For Your Info: By the way, the very same factors here, do the opposite for dry traction, I mentioned them all in here: https://tiredriver.com/improving-dry-performance-all-season-tires/
Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake Symbol
The Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol indicate a lot of winter capabilities of a tire.
It tells you that the tire (with this symbol) is at least 10% better in light snow acceleration, compared to standard touring AS tires.
Moreover, it also allows tires to perform better, even blow 45° or (7°C), where tires without the rating aren’t able to do so.
So getting tires with 3PMSFR is a must, if snow traction is important to you.
Tread Life Warranties
Tires with longer tread life warranties are generally made from durable materials designed to withstand wear. This durability mostly means the overall lug structure of the tire is less flexible.
And that hinders the tire’s snow paddling performance for the most part, and lowers its rubber’s thermal adaptability.
Sidewall strength is a factor often overlooked, also although adds to the durability hampers the tire’s snow handling, particularly.
Reinforced Shoulders
Tires with reinforced shoulders provide improved lateral stability and traction on snowy terrains.
This is because with foundational supports, the groove on the shoulders, particularly, act as in-groove notches, providing the tire with decent bite while cornering.
Moreover, it also adds the lugs from excessively bending, and that goes for treads that are more pliant.
Internal Construction
The internal construction of a tire, including elements like steel belts, nylon overlays, and sidewall reinforcements, plays a critical role in its overall performance and durability, especially in challenging snow conditions.
For instance, steel belts can offer enhanced puncture resistance and tread stability, which are beneficial when navigating over snow-covered roads that might hide obstacles like sharp ice or debris.
Evaluating the internal build of a tire can give insights into its robustness and how well it will hold up in winter conditions.
Rounded Contact Patch
A rounded contact patch ensures more uniform pressure distribution across the tire’s surface, enhancing grip and stability on snow-covered roads.
This design feature helps maintain control on slippery surfaces, which is vital in winter driving.
Lug Design and Void-to-Tread Ratio
The lug design and the void-to-tread ratio of a tire are critical for effective snow traction.
These are basically voids in the tread, which effectively provide better snow and slush evacuation from the tread, reducing the risk of snow packing and loss of traction.
While with in-groove notches, I talked about, before, facilitate to the needed snow contact.
Recommended All-Season Tires for Dry Performance
Well, there are a lot of different all season tires type, so there’s no simple answer here. However, I can tell you the best tire for dry performance, in each of the all season category.
Now there are 4 main categories:
- Standard Touring All-Season.
- Grand Touring All-Season.
- Ultra-High Performance All-Season
- SUV Touring All-Season.
- Highway All-Season.
Find my list of top grand touring tires here: https://tiredriver.com/best-grand-touring-all-season-tires/
And list of top ultra high performance tires here: https://tiredriver.com/best-ultra-high-performance-all-season-tires/
In Case of Standard Touring Category
Out of all tires I’ve reviewed, the Continental TrueContact (review), provides the best snow traction, among its group.
In Case of Grand Touring Category
The Nokiain SeasonProof (review), is the best tire for winter performance, in grand touring category.
In Case of Ultra-High Performance Category
The Nokian WRG4 (review), is the best ultra high performance tire for winter performance.
In Case of SUV Touring Category
In SUV touring category, the Michelin Crossclimate 2 SUV (review) is taking the lead, providing leading traction on snowy terrains.
In Case of Highway All-Season Category
And lastly, for Highway All Season tires, the Kumho Crugen HT51 (review), is on top, for snow performance.
Wrapping Up
So there you have it, by implementing these strategies, from tire maintenance to understanding tread designs and internal structures, you can significantly improve the snow handling capabilities of all-season tires.
Remember, while all-season tires provide versatility, tailored maintenance and informed choices can optimize their performance in snowy conditions.
Do let me know if you have any questions. Use the comment section below to reach out to me.
