Topic: This is why I like all-weather tires.

[Bulkley]

This is why I like all-weather tires.  https://www.castanet.net/news/Kamloops/259567/8-injured-in-Coq-crashes  Bad weather can happen any time of year. 

[HeliDriver]

Bad weather can happen any time of year, but winter is always worse. I guess you could run all-weathers in the summer and put on actual winter tires for winter. 

But I understand what you’re saying. I got caught in a bad hailstorm a few weeks ago and was happy to have my Michelin A/S 3+ tires instead of the pure summer performance tires I used to run. The Michelins have been surprisingly good in rain and light snow/slush.

[rrocket]

Bad weather can happen any time of year, but winter is always worse. I guess you could run all-weathers in the summer and put on actual winter tires for winter. 

But I understand what you’re saying. I got caught in a bad hailstorm a few weeks ago and was happy to have my Michelin A/S 3+ tires instead of the pure summer performance tires I used to run. The Michelins have been surprisingly good in rain and light snow/slush.

I got caught in a hail storm with Michelin PSS.  I made it home just fine.

It's more about driving smart in these situations IMO.

[HeliDriver]

^^ Well, sure. In my case there were plenty of people who pulled off the road to wait it out. I’d probably have done the same on my summer tires, but it was nice to be able to safely continue driving.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

You have to understand, Ron can create traction using sheer force of will. 

[rrocket]

You have to understand, Ron can create traction using sheer force of will. 

 

Well no....I just adjusted my speed to about 40km/h (or less).

All was well.

IQ and I were gritting our teeth the whole time though....thought the car would be dented all over.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Saskatchewan has (had?) the lowest rate of snow tire use in the country. They rarely use salt, and use grit sparingly. The intersections are glazed for weeks at a time.

I'm not sure how many times I've sat behind some goomba on all seasons stuck on a mild incline because they had no traction.

[dkaz]

A fair number of people do think they can drive fast on the Coq through poor weather conditions any time of the year, but the steep grades can make a bad situation worse even among careful drivers. I’m surprised there weren’t any accidents during last week’s snowfall.

[johngenx]

The Coq is a giant $hitshow year round.  People drive like lunatics regardless of road conditions.

[quadzilla]

People drive like lunatics regardless of road conditions.

^ This 100% and it isn't dependent on location either.

[johngenx]

People drive like lunatics regardless of road conditions.

^ This 100% and it isn't dependent on location either.

True, though I find certain roads are worse than others.  Highway 16 from Edmonton to Jasper is actually a pretty decent drive, where the highway between Edmonton and Calgary is insane in comparison.  But, the Coq is on another level altogether.  Highway 63 to Ft. Mac in northern Alberta is "Alberta's Coq" with people driving like they're committing suicide.

[HeliDriver]

I had to drive from Canmore to Prince George years ago when I had the Civic. It was April or May, and a nice drive up the Icefields Parkway, so I really wanted to be on my summer tires. The forecast called for isolated flurries in the morning, then clearing, so figured I’d chance it on the summers.

I got to the top of Bow Summit when I hit the snow. Freshly fallen on the bare highway, and temps right around freezing. Had to slow down to 20 km/h, but the car just followed the crown of the road and slid down to the right. Thought for sure I’d slide into the ditch, but once the tires got onto the shoulder, there was enough of the winter sand left to provide some grip and stop the slide.

So I drove at 15 km/h with two wheels on the shoulder for a good 15 minutes until the snow finally cleared. It was clear sailing after that, and I was able to properly enjoy the rest of the drive. Still, it was a dumb decision not to just put the winters back on for that drive. Thankfully it was early morning and I was the only one (dumb enough to be) on the highway. It could have been ugly in traffic.

[johngenx]

^^^  The Parkway can give snow, real snow, any day of the year.  I've used the snowflake rating of the AT tires on the HL a couple of times in "summer."  If I'm taking the Miata there I pay pretty close attention to the forecast.

Not sure I'd want to drive those parts on anything less than full-on snow tires in the winter though.  I've had a few instances of struggling up Bow Summit or Sunwapta Pass even on premium winter tires AND AWD.

[sszoomzoom]

A fair number of people do think they can drive fast on the Coq through poor weather conditions any time of the year, but the steep grades can make a bad situation worse even among careful drivers. I’m surprised there weren’t any accidents during last week’s snowfall.

I had to drive through that last week and was fine.
Different story today
https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-259567-48-.htm#259567

[dougjp]

This is why I like mine:

http://link.tirerack.com/u/gm.php?prm=rA6CMwC4on_799366172_133265_105523

Ratings on the tires that came with the GLI were not great at all, so I decided to dump changing tires and wheels, and traded them for Michelin Cross Climate + all weather tires, after 300 kms    They are OK in the snow, truly exceptional in the rain and good in the dry. Ride is decent, not noisy, perhaps a bit firmer than the OEM tires. I don't think gas mileage is affected much, I'm getting 6.7L/100 on trips, multiple times, which exceeds my expectations for a 2.0 turbo.

Therefore I'd recommend them, especially for (a) retired people who don't have to be anywhere in a blizzard, (b) families with one car that has full snow tires, or (c) people who work, but in a blizzard have the option to work at home. They may be acceptable in a blizzard/heavy snow/ice too, I just hope to never bother testing that!