Best All Weather Tires for Snow

Are you searching for the best all-weather tires? You may hear that all-weather tires are great substitutes for all-season tires, especially in cold periods.

Although all-season tires offer great handling, traction, and performance in many driving conditions, they aren’t as completely flawless as people think.

Regardless of how their name sounds, all-season tires aren’t perfect for all driving and climatic conditions. While these tires are great for wet and dry roads, they aren’t suited for severe winter weather.

Some all-season tires may work in light snow, but if you are looking for a tire to use in harsh winter weather like deep snow and ice, consider getting an all-weather tire. All-weather tires are safer and offer more traction and reliability in snow and extreme winter conditions than summer tires.

Both all-weather and all-season tires are versatile and usable in different conditions, but the major difference lies in their performance on snow. All-weather tires typically feature a 3PMSF rating, highlighting their strength and suitability in the snowy season. In case you see this symbol on any tire, remember that the manufacturer has constructed that tire to fare well in the winter months.

At the moment, no all-season tire is constructed to provide the level of performance you will get from an all-weather tire in harsh wintry conditions.

This post was created for those looking to add all-weather tires to your garage. All the tires mentioned here have been examined and confirmed to provide exceptional traction and performance in cold, freezing conditions and are decent on dry and wet terrains.

Here, I will show you the best all-weather tires for snow, and if this is something you want to know, stick around and read on.

 Best All Weather Tires for Snow  

If you want to invest in a quality all-weather tire, getting informed advice and recommendations from a tire expert is the best thing you can do for yourself. In this way, you may find the perfect tires for your needs.

As an experienced driver who has personally tried out several tires, I will show you the pros and cons of each tire and let you know if it’s wise to pick a particular set of tires.

Below are some of the best all-weather tires for ice and snow on the market.

 1. Michelin CrossClimate 2 

When you think of an all-weather tire for snow, the first product that comes up is the Michelin CrossClimate2. This tire has won the hearts of many drivers – all thanks to its exceptional performance and quality.

You may have heard me say severally that all-weather tires aren’t a good fit for hot summer. That’s true. However, the Michelin CrossClimate2 is different from other all-weather models on the market because it is built for the summer and winter. This tire from the Michelin brand provides the best value for the money as it gives you a summer and winter tire in one full package.

Normally, an all-weather tire struggles in hot conditions but unlike other models, the CrossClimate2 doesn’t disappoint in hot temperatures. This Michelin’s latest addition features top-notch construction and advanced tire technology that won’t fail you on the road.

The Michelin CrossClimate2 embodies what an ideal all-weather tire should be. It gives you high winter and summer traction and is suitable for different conditions. This tire’s tread pattern and design give it an edge over other all-season and all-weather tires, as it provides more traction on snow.

It offers fantastic longitudinal traction and an amazing cornering grip, which is great for safe driving. Apart from its excellent traction, this set of Michelin tires offers high-speed stability, better grip, and reliable handling.

Additionally, it provides an outstanding 60,000-mile treadwear warranty. The downside of this Michelin model is that it is expensive. However, it’s worth the money spent as you get great value from the quality, sturdy construction materials and technology it offers.

 2. Firestone WeatherGrip 

Indeed, the Firestone WeatherGrip is a budget all-weather tire that knows how to handle the snow well. Its 3PMSF rating shows it was designed to provide higher longitudinal traction on snowy roads.

The WeatherGrip tires perform similarly to what the Michelin CrossClimate2 offers but for a low cost. It outperforms most tires in severe wintry conditions due to its speed, braking, and movement on snowy roads.

Unlike other all-weather models, the WeatherGrip from the Firestone brand gives you genuine, reliable traction on icy roads. It is good for snow driving, and you can speed, accelerate, and stop when you want so that you won’t get stuck and stranded at any junction.

It moves effortlessly on deep snow roads, making it a perfect companion for extreme winter conditions. Despite its excellent snow performance, it doesn’t produce such feat on wet and dry roads. You may notice the noise from the tires, especially when riding at higher speeds.

Obviously, the WeatherGrip is a great tire for any weather. Even the manufacturer, Firestone, is a popular, trusted tire brand. It gives you great ride quality coupled with a 65,000-mile treadwear warranty for a reasonable price.

If you are hunting for an affordable all-weather tire for driving on ice and snow, the WeatherGrip will be a great choice.

 3. Nokian WR G4 

The WR G4 is an extraordinary tire known for its performance in harsh wintry conditions. Its manufacturer, Nokian, is reported to be the first tire brand to introduce the “all-weather” term.

This isn’t surprising, seeing that Nokian is based in Finland, which is notable for its freezing, chilly weather. Nokian specializes in manufacturing winter tires and can be relied upon for your next all-weather tire because they know what such tires should offer.

If you are keen on getting a quality winter tire for your vehicle, the WR G4 is an ideal choice because it provides excellent snow traction. It has amazing hydroplaning resistance, so you won’t worry about losing traction in the slush and rain.

Unlike the Firestone WeatherGrip, this Nokian WR G4 provides great traction on wet and dry roads. However, I am not impressed with the responsiveness of the tires in hot conditions.

Asides that, it is an excellent tire for ice and snow-covered roads. The Nokia WR G4 also gives you a 60-000-mile treadwear warranty.

 4. Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 

As the name implies, the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady is an all-weather tire built for snow-covered roads. It features a three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) icon, indicating its stellar performance in snow.

It features an asymmetric tread design and soy-based rubber tread compound, providing outstanding traction in any weather, including ice and snow.

Another awesome feature is that the Assurance WeatherReady tires work well on ice, slush, and dry pavement, which justifies why it is one of the best-selling car tires in Europe and North America.

Again, this set of Goodyear tires is preferred by many drivers because of its superb traction on snowy terrains. It provides great wet and dry traction, short braking distances, and safe handling.

The Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady tires offer 3D TredLock Technology Blades for reliable cornering. It includes Zigzag Biting Edges, which provide better traction in slippery conditions, and Evolving Traction Grooves, designed to maintain grip as the tire wears.

One of the shortcomings of the Assurance WeatherReady tires is that, unlike most all-weather tires, it doesn’t provide the best performance in the rain.

Still, it is a high-quality all-weather tire for snowy pavements and roads. The Assurance WeatherReady tires are compatible with several vehicles. It has an impressive 60,000-mile treadwear warranty, and it provides a quiet, comfortable ride quality. With this set of 3PMSF tires from Goodyear, you can drive on snow with so much confidence.

 5. Toyo Celsius 

The Toyo Celsius is a great option for anyone looking for a high-performance, all-weather tire. Toyo is renowned for making high-quality tires that do great in several weather conditions. They have a wide spectrum of solid all-season and all-weather tires, making them the go-to option for most drivers.

If you don’t want to overspend on an all-weather tire, you should consider getting the Toyo Celsius. This tire is available for a reasonable price and doesn’t cost much. This tire is versatile and suitable for various conditions, including warmer, rainy, ice, and wintry conditions. It has safe handling and provides short stopping distances on snow.

The Toyo Celsius produces good traction in both dry and wet conditions, irrespective of the temperature in your region. It handles snow well and ensures your vehicle isn’t stuck on the road.

Another thing to note is that this set of tires has superb hydroplaning resistance, which reduces the chances of losing traction in the rain. This All-weather tire from Toyo guarantees a 60,000-mile treadwear warranty, which is impressive.

Some users may not be comfortable with the noise produced by the tires on the highway. Nevertheless, it is a durable and excellent all-weather car tire for the wintry season.

 6. Nokian G4 SUV 

Nokian showcases this WR G4 SUV as an all-weather tire for SUVs. The materials and design of this tire are carefully selected for sport utility vehicles.

The Nokian WR G4 SUV gives you excellent handling, braking, and traction on snow and is tested to work on ice. Fortunately, these tires offer superior resistance to hydroplaning.

Expect to get more performance from these tires on dry and wet roads. The WR G4 SUV is one of the all-weather tires in this list that offer the best wet and dry traction.

However, it isn’t too responsive, which is something to consider if you are buying it for daily driving. Nokian compensates for this by offering an impressive 60,000-mile treadwear warranty on these tires.

 7. Nokian Encompass AW01 

At this point, you should know that Nokian does an excellent job creating all-weather tires for snow, as this is the third pick from the manufacturer. The Nokian Encompass AW01 offers many features you will find in a winter tire. It is suitable for use in snowy regions as it features multiple sipes, which help create more biting edges for improved performance in snow and wintry conditions.

Among other tires in this list, the Encompass AW01 is one model that provides the best traction on icy roads. Asides from its great snow and ice performance, it is notable to mention that it handles slush effortlessly.

The hydroplaning resistance is decent on wet roads, the handling and grip levels are great, and the stopping distance is short. Like most tires in this list, the major flaw of the Nokian Encompass AW01  is that it produces a noticeable growl at higher speeds.

Seeing the array of features these tires come with, and you can get them for a steal as it is quite affordable. Also, Nokia offers a 60,000-mile treadwear warranty on these tires.

 8. Vredestein Quatrac 5 

The Vredestein Quatrac 5 is a great tire for snowy conditions. As an all-weather tire, the Quatrac 5 does great in all four seasons and can be used for daily commuting.

These excellent tires deliver amazing traction in dry and wet conditions and are safe to drive over snow. The zigzag sipes in these tires produce traction when necessary. It features a 3PMSF symbol, indicating its usability in winter.

However, it’s not a winter tire and cannot produce the best performance in extreme wintry conditions. If you reside in a region with adverse snow conditions or want to drive over roads with heavy snow, it’s best to look for a true winter tire, as this one isn’t made for that.

Still, the Vredestein Quatrac 5 provides great grip in the corners. It also offers a solid snow performance as it can ride over light snow. It moves comfortably, giving you excellent ride quality. If you want a perfect, well-rounded tire, the Quatrac5 will not be a bad option. This set of Vredestein all-weather tires is great for riders of sedans, station wagons, coupes, and crossover vehicles.

There’s something to note about the tires: the growl it produces, especially at high speeds. Although the noise is loud, it is mild to keep you focused while driving. Lastly, the Vredestein Quatrac 5 provides a 45,000-mile treadwear warranty, which falls short of what most premium all-weather tires offer.

 9. Michelin CrossClimate SUV 

Finally, you can get the Michelin CrossClimate SUV if you need an all-weather tire for outstanding snow performance. Unlike the other CrossClimate model, this tire is designed to give SUVs an edge in several weather conditions.

This all-weather SUV tire from the Michelin brand provides exceptional acceleration, braking, and handling. It also offers reasonably short stopping distances on snow. You will be impressed by the dry and wet performance of these tires. The CrossClimate SUV doesn’t compromise on performance; it can survive in winter and handle other weather conditions.

As much as this tire delivers great performance, it isn’t affordable for everyone. If you are getting this set of Michelin SUV tires, you must be ready to spend more than what you will offer on an average all-weather tire.

The costly price tag will be a challenge for those who want to invest in a quality, high-performing all-weather tire. Overall, it assures fuel efficiency and offers excellent performance even at higher speeds. It has a 50,000-mile treadwear warranty.

 All-Weather and All-Season Tires: What Is The Difference?  

In the introductory paragraphs of this post, we mentioned that the primary difference between the all-weather and all-season tires lies in how they perform in the wintry season. Although that’s the simplest definition to comprehend, there are other minor differences that you should be aware of.

Firstly, the rubber compound used in making both tires are different. While all-weather tires feature a soft rubber compound, all-season tires have a sticker compound. Due to their softer rubber, all-weather and winter tires are incredibly sturdy and great in icy and freezing conditions. These tires get more traction and grip on snow because their rubber compound is soft and pliable.

On the other side, all-season tires feature a stickier compound that isn’t flexible but wears and becomes less durable the more it is used on snowy roads.

It makes sense to get an all-weather tire if you drive frequently on snowy roads. The reason is that the rubber compound has a pliable rubber that is soft for the cold weather, offering better grip and traction as you drive.

However, all-weather tires are not recommended for summer use because their pliable rubber gets hot and inflexible in high temperatures. Due to this, the rubber loses its stability and gripping ability.

You can know an all-weather tire and an all-season tire from their durability. The softer rubber used in all-weather construction makes them wear quicker than the all-season models, especially when piping hot. Nonetheless, all-weather tires offer better tread life than most winter tires.

All-season tires offer a quiet, noise-free ride and are more comfortable, but this varies depending on the tire model.

Additionally, you can tell an all-season tire from an all-weather tire from its tread design. All-season tires come with a lot of sipes and tread blocks, while all-weather tires have smaller sipes and more tread blocks, and their grooves are somewhat deeper and larger.

Consequently, all-weather tires’ tread pattern allows them to ride into deep snowy roads and disperse. Another benefit of the tread pattern is that it increases longitudinal traction and handling across different corners.

 Conclusion  

By all means, get an-all weather tire if you live in an ice-cold region. There are various tire brands and models, but you can only use one on your vehicle at a time. The multiplicity of tires on the market makes it more difficult for drivers to find and select the right tires for their vehicles.

Suppose you stay or travel to a place with harsh wintry weather; you will need a quality tire that will provide traction on snowy pavements and terrains.

If you want to invest in a tire that offers superior performance on ice and snow, consider selecting any tire in this list. We’ve listed the best all-weather tires for snow here, and you can find the right tire for your needs in this guide.

Each tire mentioned here has pros and cons, so read carefully before purchasing. Finally, consider your driving style and conditions. This will greatly help you make the right choice. I hope you find value in this!