Winter tires that don't work in snow

[MintJulep]

Company recalls more than 541,000 winter tires over lack of traction in snow

Owner notification letters should be mailed out by February 1, 2025.

local12.com

 

[GregLocock]

Here's google AI on glass temperatures and tire types, it is at least indicatively right

The glass transition temperature (Tg) of rubber in snow tires is around 60°F below zero. This means that the rubber in snow tires stays flexible and pliable in cold temperatures, which helps the tires maintain good traction and grip on the road.

The glass transition temperature is the temperature at which a polymer, like a tire, changes its properties and becomes hard and brittle. Rubber with a low glass transition temperature is more resistant to cracking and fracture in cold temperatures.


Here are the glass transition temperatures for different types of tires:

• Race tires: 40°F
• Summer tires: Just below freezing
• All-season tires: Most are still pliable below zero, but some start losing grip before that

Winter tires have a softer compound and deeper, narrower tread blocks than other tires. These features help the tires deflect minor road imperfections and reduce stopping distances.

 

[dtimberlake]

Winter tire have a "Snow Flake" marking on the sidewall.
M + S alone does not qualify for winter tires.
View attachment 2567
"Snow Flake" tires have a softer rubber composition than most non-snowflake tires.
Snowflake tire wear out faster than non-snow flake tires.
Where I live, snowflake tires are required by law for 6 months of the year.

I think studdable snow tires as in the picture above //may// not have rubber quite as fancy as the stuff used in the outer 75% in studless tires.

Tire Rack says the three peak mountain snowflake 3PMSF symbol only indicates testing of acceleration on medium packed snow.
A grade ≥ 110% of an all season is required.

The rest of Tire Rack's statement kind of suggests there may be tires with that aren't "dedicated winter/snow" but still managed to earn the 3MPSF rating.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

I just stick with what my Finnish brother in laws advise for tyres.

Even though they make rude comments about me having a 999cc engine and I can just use summer...

The Finnish slow down to USA speed limits when it's white roads.

 

[btrueblood]

I grew up driving a variety of vehicles in wet slushy snow conditions typical of the Pacific Northwest hilly and mountain areas. All of our cars and trucks had chains, and we learned how to put them on at a young age. Some people ran studs...but they had to chain up for the mountain passes too, if the cops were checking, or if they went without, we would usually pass them (spun out on the roadside) somewhere up the hill, or just past the summit.

Today, my wife's AWD mini-SUV is ridiculously capable in heavy, wet, icy, sloppy conditions, with factory stock tires (some kind of All-Season radial). Driven judiciously (i.e. slowly and carefully) it gets us up the pass for skiing, and back home again with a stop at the grocery store, with minimal fuss. Tire technology has come a long way. FWIW, the weather here is rarely below zero F, and hardly ever even in the teens, so true snow tires (60F below per Greg's article) would be overkill.

 

[MintJulep]

I just stick with what my Finnish brother in laws advise for tyres.

Good plan. The Finns know a bit about winter.

Hakkapeliitta (now Nokian) are the best winter tires in my experience.

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