Maryland has an average of 20.6 inches of snowfall yearly, and Lanham only sees 15 inches. This relatively small amount of snow is still enough to warrant a good set of winter tires. If your tires aren’t designed to handle the slippery road surfaces of the colder months, even the smallest amount of snow and ice can cause a skid. Let’s look at five ways snow tires can help keep you safer on the roads this winter.
Does Your Ford Need Winter Tires for Maryland Weather?
Pliable Hydrophilic Rubber
The rubber in both summer and all-season tires is primarily designed to maintain a stiff shape. This is ideal for the hotter road surfaces of spring and summer, but when winter comes around, flexibility is key.
Snow tires are made from special hydrophilic rubber, which has greater flexibility. This allows it to grip the icy tarmac with more surface area, increasing traction. Even if your all-season tires say “M+S” on the side, indicating suitability for mud and snow, they’re rarely made with hydrophilic rubber.
Higher Void-To-Lug Ratio
The treads of snow tires have larger gaps between the treads, otherwise known as larger voids between the lugs. This higher void-to-lug ratio means the treads can dig into snow more easily rather than only pressing on top.
As the treads dig in, snow scoops into the voids and is thrown out behind the tire. This greatly helps reduce your chance of slipping and skidding on the surface of compacted snow.
Sharper Tread Edges
Even the shapes of the treads are different in snow tires. There are more edges to them, and the edges are sharper. This also helps the treads dig deep into patches of snow, slush, and ice.
Tiny Traction Grooves
If you look closely at a snow tire, you’ll see thousands of little grooves sliced into the treads. These grooves are called sipes, designed to increase traction further.
You can sometimes find sipes on all-season tires and have sipes custom-cut into any kind of tire. But don’t count upon sipes alone for your safety. Nothing beats snow tires for maximum winter traction.
Ask Your Ford Dealer About Studs
Snow tires can also hold little steel studs that break into ice and compact snow. Studs are fantastic for traction, but they can also cause damage to bare road surfaces. For this reason, studs are only legal in five of Maryland’s coldest counties: Garrett, Frederick, Washington, Carroll, and Allegheny. And even in these counties, studs are only allowed between November 1 and March 31.
As Lanham lies in Prince George’s County, local drivers should forgo studs. If you’re in doubt about whether or not to get studs, or you have any other queries about snow tires, you can always seek advice at your local Ford dealership. They’ll be happy to help.
Visit DARCARS Ford of Lanham to prepare your car for winter. We’re a well-established dealership providing the region’s drivers with excellent cars, tires, and service.
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