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Comment by alistairSH | Hacker News Reader

Winter tires (not studded) really are amazing. I live near DC, so don't normally use them (we don't get enough snow to bother - just stay home for a day or two and it's melted).

But, when I had a Miata (small RWD sports car), I did use them and they made the car one of the best snow vehicles I've owned. Better than the AWD Lexus SUV we owned at the time for sure.

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Yep; had an RX8 in Ithaca, NY. Had 2 sets of wheels + tires: one for summer and one for winter. The winter tires meant I was cruising safely and smoothly in a RWD car while regular vehicles with all seasons (and on occasion, Subarus with AWDs) were struggling to climb up or drive safely down (relatively) steep streets.. (Ithaca is a bit hilly)

I grew up in Minnesota and commuted on the DC beltway (Bethesda to Reston) for about 18 months for my first job out of college.

Drivers panic on the D.C. beltway the second a snowflake hits the pavement.

Good all-weather tires probably give you better average traction than winter tires in D.C., even in Winter.

All-weather tires will definitely be safer, since you will be less tempted to venture out into the apocalyptic hellscape that D.C. metro area roads turn into the second that drivers see a snowflake.

True, even with snow tires, it was safer to just stay home. Too many people who think AWD fixes snow or think they can drive well enough to take their Corvette out in a blizzard.

Studded tires are even better.

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