Best All-Season Tires For Snow

DIY

Wheels and Tires

Chris Tonn

August 22, 2023

Chris Tonn

August 22, 2023

Many drivers of family vehicles routinely choose an all-season tire - opens in new window or tab., even if they live in areas that see occasional winter snowfall. If you’re in northern climates where the snow is significant for several months a year, it’s likely best to have dedicated winter tires - opens in new window or tab..

But if the snowfall is punctuated with days or weeks of warmer temps, those snow tires won’t perform optimally.

Therefore, a good all-season tire is likely the best choice, so you don’t have to change from winter tires to summer tires based on what the meteorologist says each morning.

Every tire is a compromise between competing factors:

A dedicated snow tire is ideal for heavy snow, but it won’t perform well in Phoenix on a supercar in the summer.
Conversely, an ultra-high-performance summer tire will be out of place mounted on a family crossover in Minneapolis.

Our focus here is on popular all-season tires - opens in new window or tab. that perform well in snow. We chose several that perform well in winter conditions. Each of these tires carries the three peak mountain snowflake (3PMS) label on the sidewall, indicating its suitability for winter traction in moderately packed snow.

They won’t be ideal for heavy snowfall due to all-season tread patterns, but they typically will have a long treadwear warranty due to rubber compounds that have been designed to handle year-round driving.

Front view of a General Altimax tire — General Altimax

One very noticeable feature in the tread of most tires that perform well in snow are sipes, which are very small slices in the tread blocks. Tread sipes provide extra gripping surfaces that can help channel water and snow away from the contact patch. Years ago, tire installers would offer tread siping as an extra-cost option in snowy climes, relying on the technician’s skill in using a tool to create these extra biting edges. Modern snow tires, as well as these snow-focused all-season tires, typically feature sipes from the factory.

Read this: Why Buy Winter Tires? - opens in new window or tab.

Firestone Weathergrip

The Firestone Weathergrip - opens in new window or tab. tire is an all-season, all-weather tire for family cars, crossovers, and minivans equipped with a 65,000-mile limited treadwear warranty. You might notice that these Firestone tires - opens in new window or tab. have broad openings visible from the sidewall. These open tread shoulder slots help to move water and slush away from the contact patch and out to the side of the vehicle, ensuring excellent traction no matter the weather.

Like most all-weather tires with excellent snow performance, reviewers notice more road noise with the Weathergrip than on many less aggressive all-season touring tires. The tread sipes on the Weathergrip extend the full depth of each tread block, while the sipes in some competing tires will disappear as the rubber wears away.

This makes each tread block on the Weathergrip a bit flexible, making these tires feel somewhat less responsive in dry weather than a dedicated performance tire. But the excellent year-round performance and impressive snow traction tend to outweigh those downsides for most drivers.

General Altimax 365 AW

With its 60,000-mile treadwear warranty, the General Altimax 365 AW - opens in new window or tab. is an all-weather tire made to go the distance. It’s called a touring tire, and it’s made to give family sedans and crossovers a smooth, stable ride no matter the conditions.

The Altimax 365 AW has zigzag shaped sipes to help ensure tread block stability in dry weather, making these relatively comfortable and stable to drive in dry conditions. The sipes have, in certain spots around the tire, what General Tire - opens in new window or tab. calls visual alignment indicators. If these indicators wear at different rates, it’s an easy check to see that there may be an issue with the suspension or steering alignment.

Some reviewers note extra road noise from the Altimax 365 AW, but this is usually an acceptable tradeoff for great year-round performance.

Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady

Made to give SUVs and crossovers a comfortable ride, wet or dry, the Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady - opens in new window or tab. can help to keep your family safe. With a 60,000-mile or six-year warranty, it is meant to handle whatever is on the road ahead. Like other tires on this list, the Assurance WeatherReady is equipped with aggressive tread sipes to help provide traction in the worst weather conditions.

Goodyear - opens in new window or tab. took a hard look at how the all-season tire performs well down the road. The Assurance WeatherReady has evolving traction grooves that change in dimension as the tires wear down.

When new, the grooves are deep and narrow to help channel water away from the contact patch. As the rubber wears away over thousands of miles, those grooves get wider, ensuring the water can still effectively move away from where the rubber meets the road. Drivers seem highly impressed with how well the Assurance WeatherReady drives on dry pavement, with excellent steering and braking responsiveness.

Michelin CrossClimate2

The Michelin CrossClimate2 - opens in new window or tab. has an aggressive V-shaped directional tread design meant to sweep water away from the tire’s contact patch. This tread helps to bite into packed and loose snow alike, giving drivers plenty of confidence. It also works very well on dry pavement, and while other tires with aggressive V-shaped treads have caused significant road noise in the past, Michelin - opens in new window or tab. has tuned the treads to cancel out the objectionable humming.

These tires are guaranteed for 60,000 miles and are designed for cars and small crossovers. There are a couple of negatives to consider. Some reviewers find that the aggressive tread leads to slightly decreased fuel mileage. Also, due to the directional tread, rotating the tires for even wear is more difficult.

Assuming your vehicle uses the same-size tires front and rear, the CrossClimate2 can be rotated front to back but not side to side, unless they are dismounted from the wheels first. Most tire shops will charge extra for this service due to the additional labor required. Otherwise, the Michelin CrossClimate2 is a very well-regarded all-season tire for snowy weather.

Shop now for all-season tires - opens in new window or tab.

About the author

Chris Tonn

Some enthusiasts say they were born with gasoline in their veins. Chris Tonn, on the other hand, had rust flakes in his eyes nearly since birth. Living in salty Ohio and being hopelessly addicted to vintage British and Japanese steel will do that to you. His work has appeared in Hagerty, The Truth About Cars, Reader's Digest, AutoGuide, Family Handyman, and Jalopnik. He's currently looking for the safety glasses he just set down somewhere.

Share your feedback

This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.