Keep in mind that most studded snow tires are only legal during the winter months. Using studded tires in dry conditions can tear up the road, and you may get a fine if you use studded tires during the non-winter seasons.

Most snow tires are siped tires, but not all of them are. However, siped tires handle better in the snow, because the small slits give them more traction. When your snow tires have a tread of about 4/32 inches, it’s time to replace them. You can measure your tread depth with a tread depth measurement tool.

Best Snow Tire for Cars and Minivans: Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 Tire Best Snow Tire for Crossovers and SUVs: Continental VikingContact 7 Tire Best Snow and Ice Performance Tire: Falken Winterpeak F-ice 1 Tire Best Studded Snow Tire: AltiMAX Arctic12 Tire Best Snow Tire with a Warranty: Uniroyal Tiger Paw Ice & Snow 3 Tire

Seeing “M + S” on your sidewall? This acronym stands for “mud and snow. ” An “M + S” symbol usually means that the tire is an all season tire, not a snow tire.