Are Snow Tires Actually Worth It in Vermont?

Yes. If you drive in Vermont between November and March, snow tires are worth it.

Here’s why: all-season tires lose grip below 45°F, and Vermont’s average January temperature is 19°F. Vermont gets 86 inches of snow annually—triple the national average—across 54 days of snow per year. Temperatures stay below freezing November through March. Mountain roads turn bad without warning.

Snow tires aren’t just better in these conditions. They’re a different tool entirely. This post covers why they work, what the safety data shows, what they cost, and when to install them.

Why do snow tires work better in cold weather?

Snow tires use a different rubber compound. If you watch any form of motor racing, you’ll know that tire compound matters a lot. Snow tires have more natural rubber and silica. That keeps them flexible when it’s cold. If you were to run a set of snow tires all year, they would degrade much faster in warmer temperatures as a result. All-season tires use harder rubber that stiffens up below 45°F because they’ve been optimized to last in mild climates. Hard rubber doesn’t grip. That’s it.

Snow tires also have thousands of tiny cuts in them called “sipes.” These create edges that bite into ice and push water away from the tire. All-season tires have fewer sipes and shallower grooves.

Real winter tires have a three-peak mountain snowflake symbol on the sidewall. That symbol means the tire passed industry testing for severe snow service. It’s more rigorous than the M+S (mud and snow) marking you see on most all-season tires.

How much more effective are snow tires at stopping?

Tire Rack tested tires on packed snow at 30 mph. Winter tires stopped in 59 feet. All-season tires needed 89 feet. That’s 30 feet longer, about two car lengths.

Edmunds tested at 40 mph on snow. Winter tires stopped in 156 feet. All-season tires stopped in 184 feet. Summer tires stopped in 351 feet.

Ice is much worse. Motor Trend tested on ice at 12 mph. Winter tires stopped in 34 feet, but all-season tires needed 57 feet to do the same job. That is 67% longer at barely more than a jogging pace!

Consumer Reports found winter tires consistently stopped 6 feet shorter on ice and needed 22 feet less distance to accelerate from 5 to 20 mph on packed snow.

What’s the safety data from mandatory winter tire regions?

While Vermont doesn’t require winter tires for passenger vehicles, our closest neighbor, Quebec, does require them from December 1 through March 15.

After Quebec made winter tires mandatory in 2008, 574 fewer people were injured in winter collisions in the first two years. Deaths and serious injuries dropped 3%. Annual crashes have been cut in half since the law took effect.

Germany saw similar results. Before mandatory winter tires in 2005, Germany logged 12,539 collisions with injuries in winter conditions. By 2008, after the requirement, that number dropped to 6,003. That is a 52% reduction!

A Swedish study found studded tires showed a 42% reduction in fatal crashes on ice and snow-covered roads compared to non-studded winter tires. 64% of fatal crashes on icy roads involved loss of control.

81% of winter tire owners in Canada believe their winter tires saved them from a hazardous driving situation—either loss of control or a collision.

What do snow tires cost?

A set of four winter tires for a midsize car runs $800 to $1,500. Basic winter tires for smaller vehicles cost $80 to $125 per tire. Performance winter tires run $100 to $500 per tire depending on your vehicle. There’s a lot of choice in the market!

Consumer Reports’ top-rated winter tire for 2024, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, costs $131 per tire in standard sizes.

Most folks who buy snow tires mount them on their existing wheels and pay a shop $60 to $80 twice a year to swap them. However, some Vermonters choose to buy a second set of steel rims for $200 to $360, have the winter tires mounted once, and swap the wheels themselves each season.

If you buy a second set of wheels, you’ll need tire pressure monitoring sensors for $200 to $500 total. Federal law requires them on all vehicles made since 2008. One-time cost.

Over five years: $1,250 to $2,800 total depending on which route you take. That’s $250 to $560 per year on average.

For most people, that’s still a big chunk of change, but there’s something we haven’t talked about yet: while you’re driving on winter tires for five months each year, your all-season tires aren’t wearing down. That extends their life by roughly 8,500 kilometers annually. You’re actually not doubling your tire costs, you’re spreading wear across two sets.

Winter tires typically last five to six seasons, though my heavy electric vehicle turns that into two to three seasons. Don’t drive them in summer though, that soft compound wears out fast on hot pavement!

When should you install snow tires?

Switch to winter tires when temperatures consistently stay below 45°F. Switch back when they consistently stay above 45°F. That’s the temperature where all-season rubber hardens. Remember, it isn’t all about the tread on the tire but the tire compound itself! Snow or not, winter tires will perform better below 45°F.

For Vermont, that’s typically late October or early November through late March or early April. Ground temperatures run colder than air temperatures. Morning temperatures drop well below afternoon highs. Don’t wait too long! I always do.

This may seem like common knowledge, but the Vermont State Police recommend putting winter tires on all four wheels. Mixing tire types creates unpredictable handling, especially in corners. All four wheels need the same grip!

While you are at it, check your tread depth. A good shop will do this for you every time you bring your vehicle in for service. The legal minimum is 2/32 of an inch, but winter tires should be replaced at 4/32 or less. If you don’t have a tire depth gauge at home, use the penny test! Simply insert a penny into the tread of the tire. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, get new tires.

Does Vermont require winter tires?

Vermont has no winter tire mandate for passenger vehicles, though studded tires are legal year-round. The state requires chains for commercial vehicles over 26,000 pounds on Route 9 during bad weather, but that’s it. Insurance companies don’t offer winter tire discounts either, unlike in Ontario where insurers give 2% to 5% off premiums if you install winter tires.

Ryan Pszczolkowski, Consumer Reports’ tire program manager, put it this way: “If you have a job where you need to be at work no matter what and you do encounter winter conditions, it might be a good investment.”

Here’s how I see it. Snow tires aren’t an investment. They’re basic equipment. Maybe you’ll need to run to the hospital in the worst weather all year. You can’t control when black ice forms or when the next snowstorm hits.  You can control whether your tires grip the road when it matters.