You will need to use winter tyres when you plan to drive during the winter season. The winter season isn’t only snow and ice; it starts already as you get cold temperatures. Winter tyres are for winter use and are approved for winter use as they have fulfilled the performance tests required on snow. It is not enough that they have the M+S marking that indicates Mud and Snow, which is not tested and will have significantly worse properties than those that have passed the performance tests and thus have the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol on the sidewall of the tyre.
If you plan to drive in winter conditions, you will have to choose one of the tyre types with the 3PMSF marking. You can find this on dedicated winter tyres that come as either studded or non-studded, or then you have them on all-season tyres, which are all-year-round tyres. All the approved ones for winter use can be used and will prove sufficient safety when driving during winter conditions. They will be superior to summer tyres already when the temperature drops below zero degrees Celsius, so it is important to change tyres in time.
The studded tyres will perform the best on ice and on tightly packed snow, as they will use the metal studs to create grip. For your non-studded tyres, they will rely on its tread designs and the addition of gripping particles to the tread to ensure a good grip. Both options are approved and will be safe to drive within most winter conditions. The studded tyres are not allowed to be used in every country, and they are banned in Poland and Germany.
If you go with all-season tyres, there is no reason to change as the all-weather tyres can be used all year round and will work as winter tyres when the winter arrives and will act as summer tyres during the summer. This provides a high degree of safety and convenience for people living in areas with very unpredictable weather and might not always have winter conditions. These will be perfect for areas where you might not really have a long winter season, and it might not really make sense to change to winter tyres, as you might not experience any winter weather, or it might come unexpectedly before you have the time to change tyres.
For areas with proper long and cold winters with a lot of snow will most likely use winter tyres that will be changed after the season to summer tyres. This requires that you change tyres once the winter season is over and then again before it starts again. When you have studded or the non-studded winter tyres on your car, you will have excellent grip on snow and ice and can drive safely during the whole winter. They will both be good for winter conditions, but the studded with metal studs will be better on ice than the non-studded ones.
For more information regarding winter tyres, visit: https://www.nokiantyres.com/