Winter is coming. And with winter, the dreaded icy roads and snow-covered hillsides. If you live in a place where it snows or gets very cold during the winter months, then you've probably been thinking about getting some new tires for your car--especially if you have a truck or SUV that needs to be able to handle those conditions as well as rain and other types of road hazards. This post will detail the different types of tires that are available for purchase this year so that you can know what to look for when shopping around!
As the name implies, winter tires are designed for snow and ice conditions. They usually have a much softer rubber compound than regular all season and summer type tires and include little to no grooves in them (grooves help channel water and create more resistance against hydroplaning). You'll also want to check that your car has the proper wheel size to handle winter tires--usually you'll need to get a small 1" or 2" lift for your vehicle if you should decide to go with winter tires.
Snow chains can also be used in place of actual winter tires and will provide better traction than regular chains since they cannot damage the surface of the road or pass through axle joints and belts like regular tire chains will.