i would like to know if there is any all season tire that will hadle well in snow. i live in wisconsin so sometime we have a lot of snow but i really dont have a lot of money to be buying just winter tires for the winter so is there any recomendation of any all-seaon tires?

 

I know you're going to hate this answer - but buy proper winter tires. The cost is offset by the fact that you reduce the wear on your summer tires by about half, so in the end the cost is about the same.

Winter tires do more than provide a tread pattern to deal with snow, ice, and slush. The compound is such that the tire will remain maleable at low temperatures, when an all-season would become stiff and unyielding. You need the tread to bite into the nooks and crannies of the road to gain whatever traction is available, and if the tread hardens when cold, it cannot give you that traction. The tipover point is about 7C (45F) - at that juncture a winter tire will start to show gains in traction over an all-season. The tread designs also include many tiny sypes to help rid the contact patch of water and provide more grip on ice.

All-season tires are really three-season tires at best and none can do the work needed in cold weather.

 

If you live and drive in Milwaukee or Madison, you may be able to get a way with it. It all depends on how well they plow the streets in your area. I drive with all-season tires, but I live in a suburb that plows well and I am 100yrds off a state highway. You won't be as sure footed with all-season as you would with snows. But, if you can get away with it, you don't have to change out your tires twice a year (like now).

 

I had to drive with the stock Potenzas when it was 14 degrees out, no ice or anything just dry road. I had very little traction until the tires got warmed up, then I only had a bit more. If you're somewhere that it gets cold a lot, get winter tires no doubt.

 

I also live in the Milwaukee area. I've got a set of Continental Extreme Contact tires. They are decent, not great performance and not great in the snow but definitely manageable (this winter was a little much). With a little care they have enough traction to get you from A to B in the snow and ice. The Conti's seem to wear a bit fast but they are "performance" tires so that is to be expected.

Recently I was at my local Goodyear dealer and the service writer recommended a relatively new tire, Goodyear Eagle F1 All Season (they came out last year). I don't have any experience with these I just mention them as another option.