Why winter tires are worth the investment

A freak November snowstorm in the Northeast was an ahead-of-schedule reminder that motorist need to get ready for winter.

Many drivers use year-round, all-season tires, and that’s usually fine. These tires are designed to handle much of what nature can throw at them.

But for an extra level of security — and the ability to actually use your vehicle when conditions are truly nasty — you might want to consider a set of winter tires.

The tires are designed specifically to confront snow, slush, ice and the lower temperatures that can degrade the performance of all-season tires. A high-quality set of four will set you back more than $500 (before installation), but remember that you won’t be using them year-round, so you’ll spread the lifetime of 30,000-40,000 miles over more winters.

We asked Tom Carter, technical communications director for product marketing at Michelin why winter rubber is worth the cost and trouble to swap for your car’s usual tires every year. Here’s what he had to say.