Quote:
Originally Posted by CelticRunner
Appreciate the feedback. I probably am overthinking it to a degree.
Quick question, why would a thinner tire provide better traction in the snow?
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A thinner tire means less rubber on the ground. So the pounds per square inch of tread in contact with the ground increases. Thinner tires can also dig through the snow down to the roadway easier because of that.
However, if the snow is so deep that digging down through the snow means the vehicle will be high-centered, with the belly of the vehicle resting on the snow, and all four tires spinning uselessly, a skinny tire won't help. In that case you want the tread footprint to be as large as possible, to reduce the pounds per square inch of tread.
Those that drive in deep snow with no hope of digging down to firm ground for traction, will usually run very oversized tires, and air them down to very low air pressure, to make the tire contact patch even larger. The idea in this case is to stay on top of the snow, instead of sinking into it.