Best Snow Tire Recommendations (WY)

Hey TW!
I am entering into my first winter in with my 2017 Taco. I'm trying to find input on the best snow tires. BUT the weather conditions I'm looking into at unique as i live in rural Wyoming. I live up a single lane dirt road, that can become windblown and not easily plowed (eventually, snowmobiling does become necessary but I'd like to drive my truck for as long as possible). I'm looking into General Grabber ATX and the Falken Wildpeaks. I am also contemplating studs (there are no salt on the roads and therefore packed snow or ice is common on road ways and mountain passes even if well plowed) which leaves me with the Generals only, as the only option I have found.
I just want to see what other folks have experienced in similar conditions? I have been living in the mountains for over a decade and simply used to an AWD vehicle, so this is a new adventure with the truck.

 

An all terrain tire with the 3PMSF rating is not going to be as good as a dedicated snow tire. My vote would be the Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT3 studded.

 

BFG Commercial Traction T/A have been good to me

 

Michelin Latitude X-Ice Xi2.

Check your state laws about studded tires. Many states have banned the use of studs.

 

Just replaced my Blizzak dmv1 with the dmv2 last winter. Was not disappointed, they’ve handled everything I’ve ever driven through from Oct to Mar in the interior of BC- including three nights a week drives on the backroads to the ski trails, trips over mountain passes, and everyday city driving in fresh snow.

 

Vote for the Wildpeaks! I never ran them in full snowy road but they were great going up to Big Bear when it had just snowed the day before.

 

I have been using Bridgestone Blizzak as my winter tire. I'm impressed better than what I was expecting as far traction and wear. I get to work in any winter storm and I go to Maine in the winter on long weekends. I feel very confident in the vehicle traction it's the other people that don't have winter tires that makes me nervous. Bridgestone recommends to run there tires once the outdoor air temp. is below 45 degrees. You wouldn't be disappointed with Blizzak. USN 7P Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. G.L.

 

I'm looking to swap out summer versus winter tires. I'm located up in Dubois.

 

Grabbers or Wildpeaks are not proper winter tires. I've run Grabbers 8 months of the year, and Blizzaks for winter for the last 6 or so years. Traction difference is night and day when I put the blizzaks on. Generally speaking, AT tires aren't very good in the cold, even on dry pavement. They get super hard and break loose easily.

Recently replaced the grabbers with Wilkpeaks, and will likely spring for a set of proper winters come November. Hakkas, Blizzaks, or Ice-X are all good choices.

If you swap when avg daily temps are about 40-50 F, your winters will have good life. If you keep running them when it gets any warmer and you will burn them up in no time.

 

Not one of your preferences, but maybe take a look at Duratracs.

Only had mine in snow one time and they were outstanding. Here's some local (TW) snow related discussion: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/goodyear-duratracs-in-snow.412055/

 

Start with a snow rated all-terrain, and buy dedicated winter tires later if its not enough.

Falken Wildpeak, Toyo AT3, Goodyear Duratrac, BFG KO2 all work.

 

I live in No. Colo and both the OEM GY Wranglers and Cooper AT-4s have been good winter tires for the CO winters. I have found that the SL rated tires might not be the best for our region, especially for dirt and rocky FS roads. I experienced 1 slow-leak puncture with each set. Luckily I carry a compressor which allowed me to limp home. I'm currently looking at the C/E rated options.

 

General Grabber Arctic's for the win!

 

Been using Blizzaks DMV2 for a couple years and super impressed. Drove in a bunch of snow for months during ski season and had zero issues, tons of grip.

 

Kanati trail hog they are set up for studs I live rural over 150" a year and 75% of our roads are dirt and I prefer them over the Duratracs and are usually cheaper. I run them on my Ram CTD and have zero problems and I run through 18" of snow often!

 

My Cooper S/T Maxx are pretty great in snow and off road. I imagine with studs they would be amazing!

 

I have been using Toyo Observe dedicated winter tires for 20+ years out in the high Rockies of Colorado.
Toyo has MicroBit which is ground walnut shells added to the tread rubber. Walnut shells are the hardest plant material in the world.

 

My Firestone WinterForce were awesome last year. Threw them on some stock steelies bought off CL.

 

Rower, there is a sticky in this subforum up at the top about winter tires.

I don't know much about winter in Wyoming except all the snow fence along I-80 made my short hairs stand up on end when I drove through in the summer.

The main thing about winter tires is they are all compromises. If you come up with an excellent tire for deep snow on unpaved unplowed roads (Nokkian Hakkapellita) you will bobble down plowed ashphalt like a front end loader when your taco gets up around 45-50 mph. If you choose a tire for cold weather on plowed interstate (Continental used to make an excellent one) you will be getting your snowshoes out for the unpaved unplowed section.

It seems to me the main thing, if you want to stay in the heated cab and not be waiting on a tow truck or digging snow out from under your rig, is to pick the two (possibly three) conditions you have to deal with the most and accept that the tire you chose will not be ideal for other winter challenges.

Blizzaks are widely regarded up here as the "best" snow tire that doesn't have studs, but there are other tires in the same class now, and all of them are not so great on black ice. In the winter tire sticky try paging back five pages or so from the end and then read forward for the last 2-3 years. I do run Blizzaks under my wife's Rav4, but she doesn't go off pavement at all and might drive 2 miles a year on unplowed asphalt.

I have heard of walnut shell before as eurowner mentioned above and will be checking those out before I spring for a new set of Nokian Hakkas- but for work I take my truck to customer homes, which means I deal with a lot of unplowed unpaved driveways, or can carry my work tools back and forth from my truck. My personal compromise here is to settle for 45 mph on plowed ashphalt, but not have to carry my tools very far.