Naturally I got to wondering what it is that makes these winter tires work so much better than the others. Didn't find much, but I did find a video that gives us a little information, specifically the glass transition temperature, which basically is the temperature where a flexible tire turns into a rock. Despite a hundred years of making rubber tires, we still don't have a magic compound that is good for all conditions. Winter tires remain flexible at low temperatures, but wear excessively at higher temps. Summer tires work well in the summer time but become rigid and uncooperative at low temperatures.
Too bad they didn't compare studded tires, then we would have some real information. Oh wait, they did:
Tire Rack Tire Testing - Ice Traction: Studded vs. Studless
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