Here's Which Features Make A Snow Tire Good

There are several features that make a snow (or winter) tire good at its intended mission, which is getting you safely through winter weather of all types, including snow, ice, slush, and even clear roads when the mercury is near or below the freezing point. Today's modern snow tires are designed to provide exceptional grip in the snow, excellent braking in icy conditions, and great overall performance across the winter driving spectrum. 

Given that different publications have different testing methodologies, there can be variations in the best winter tires these outlets choose. Consumer Reports' top-ranked snow tires, for example, differ when compared to KBB's best winter tires. So let's focus on features instead.

One of the most important features of a snow tire is the rubber compound. Rubber compounds for snow and winter tires are softer than typical all-season tires, which means they retain their flexibility at lower temperatures. This results in better grip no matter what's on the road surface. The rubber used in conventional all-season tires starts to harden below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, limiting its ability to grip the road. Snow and winter tires' softer rubber compounds stay soft at lower temperatures, keeping your tires in contact with the road.

The next important feature is the tread pattern, which works together with the rubber compound to provide a safe and secure winter driving experience. A winter tire's tread pattern features a deep-grooved design molded into the winter tire as well as finer grooves, known as sipes. Somewhat counterintuitively, sipes actually retain snow in the tire, which helps it stick to the snow on the road, improving grip. While this is happening, the large grooves in the tread pattern eject slush, snow, and rain quickly, reducing the possibility of hydroplaning. The deeper grooves remove liquid and frozen precipitation from the tires, while the sipes help with grip, delivering improved car control. 

Another factor that influences a snow tire's performance is the tire's construction. This involves how the two tire elements we've discussed, the rubber compound and the tread design, are combined with the tire's body, or carcass. The materials list for a winter tire includes natural rubber, silica to keep the tire flexible at low temperatures, synthetic polymers to improve durability, and steel belts to make the tire rigid, strong, and longer-lasting. The actual tire production process involves vulcanization, a process developed by one of the world's oldest tire brands.