Winter Tires

Hi, How about -35F, with windchill factor -50F? Your skin freezes in less than 2 minutes if exposed. That is winter cold.

Cheap indeed. I bought mine after Xmas, so they were 25% off. I got Icetrac's in 205/55/16's for $75 each. My original plan was to buy cheap tires because I was buying rims at the time, then buy more expensive, snazzier tires next time around, but at this point I expect I'll just buy another set of the Icetrac's.

I'm in Ottawa, where we get a nice combination of snow, ice, slush, wet cold roads, dry cold roads, etc., and I've found the Icetrac's (manufactured by Michelin) to be more than adequate in all conditions, and they seem to wear well. I drive to a local ski hill 3 or 4 times a week, and to VT or QC most weekends.

I'm sure a Blizzak would be better on ice (at least for the first 2 years until it wore down to an all-season tire), and I'm sure a Nokian would be better all-round, but can't quite justify spending 2.5x as much.

I can't really comment on Wintertrac's, other than to say that they look like a real "snow" tire, aren't available in my size, and I wouldn't buy them if they were, given that the roads around here are usually snowy for a couple of days, then dry until the next storm.

Andy