Top 10 Best Tires for Snow Plowing: Recommended & Reviews

Driving on snow is fun for some enthusiast drivers. I mean, what’s not to like – you can experience your car’s chassis balance at much slower speeds than when driving on dry roads. However, that’s not the case for the average vehicle owner. For those people, snowy roads are a nightmare. Snow can severely limit the traction and grip on any car, even with winter tires attached.

To combat extreme snowy conditions, companies and authorities use snow-plowing trucks. Snow plowing is a method of removing large volumes of snow with a truck. After the truck finished removing the snow, salt is usually thrown to melt the snow and turn it into water. The end result is a perfectly clear road that is much safer than before.

With all that said, if you plan on using your truck (or trucks) for snow plowing, you will need the right set of snow plow tires. The best tires for snow plowing should give you reliable traction over various surfaces. They should work equally well over packed and unpacked snow, ice, and slush.

On top of that, these snow plowing tires should be ready to withstand a lot of weight and pressure. First and foremost, they will be used on heavy trucks with a lot of equipment. Then, the snow plowing itself puts a lot of weight on the tires. Pushing snow out of the road isn’t exactly easy – the truck and the tires will have a hard job all of the time.

Choosing the right truck shouldn’t be very hard, though. Almost every medium-duty and heavy-duty truck on the market will have sufficient power for snow plowing. Even some powerful light trucks can tackle the snow plowing duty without any issue. What we want to say is that there is no single bad truck on the market right now.

However, choosing the right set of tires might prove to be more difficult. The market is flooded with many different options at different price points. Going for cheaper tires might seem logical, especially for companies, but things aren’t that straightforward here. What happens if your snow plowing truck gets stuck in the snow? Then, all the savings you made on the tires will become expenditures.

Luckily, you’ve come just to the right place to find the best snow plow tires. In this article, we will cover all tire types that are useful for snow plowing. Of course, we will give you our list of the 10 best tires for snow plowing, where we will include the most popular choices on the market right now. 

For those that don’t understand snow plow tires that well, we also created a detailed buying guide. There, you’ll be able to learn everything there is to know about truck tires that will be capable of tackling snow plowing duties. We strongly recommend reading through that section if you don’t know much about snow plow tires.

The 10 Best Tires for Snow Plowing are Recommended

1. Michelin LTX Winter

Best Winter Tires for Snow Plowing (Medium-Duty and Heavy-Duty Trucks)

Apart from the high price, the LTX Winter has everything that a company that a snow plowing company would wish for.

First of all, the LTX Winter comes with a 40,000-mile treadwear warranty. That is excellent for a winter tire for sure, but also better than the non-warranty its closest competitors offer.

On top of that, the LTX Winter is outstanding over snow, and this is one of the best snow tires for trucks, providing the driver with ample traction and braking. Ice and slush performance are very good as well.

Finally, the LTX Winter is also very stable on the road, even with a large trailer attached or heavy cargo in the bed.

2. Bridgestone Blizzak LT

Best Winter Tires for Snow Plowing (Medium-Duty and Heavy-Duty Trucks)

The Bridgestone Blizzak LT is the newest addition in Bridgestone’s family of LT-metric winter tires, and right now, it is among the best in its class.

Snow traction on the Blizzak LT is outstanding, regardless if it’s packed or unpacked. Ice and slush performance are also excellent, while highway stability is top-notch on dry and wet surfaces.

With all that said, Bridgestone still doesn’t offer a treadwear warranty, even though this is their newest winter tire.

3. Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT LT

Best Winter Tires for Snow Plowing (Medium-Duty and Heavy-Duty Trucks)

The Goodyear Ultra Grip Ice WRT LT shows everything the company knows about winter tires in one package. Right now, this is one of the best tires for snow plowing.

Thanks to the Winter Reactive Technology and angled three-dimensional TredLock technology, this tire works in the most severe wintry conditions.

Snow traction is among the best in its category, and there is a lot of traction in slush as well. Ice traction is good, but not exceptional, though.

On the positive side, this is one of the best winter tires on dry and wet surfaces.

4. Bridgestone Blizzak W965

Best Winter Tires for Snow Plowing (Medium-Duty and Heavy-Duty Trucks)

If you don’t mind that Bridgestone doesn’t offer a treadwear warranty on the Blizzak W965, you are in for one of the best commercial-grade winter tires for snow-plowing.

Thanks to Bridgestone’s UNI-T technology that consists of a special Tube Multicell Compound, microscopic pores, and circumferential micro channels, this tire is the king in severe winter weather.

Like many other Blizzak tires, the W965 melts the snow underneath it, creating a thin film of water. This improves traction in snow greatly. Ice and slush traction are also outstanding.

Even though it’s old, the Blizzak W965 is still one of the best tires for snow plowing.

5. Firestone Winterforce CV

Best Winter Tires for Snow Plowing (Medium-Duty and Heavy-Duty Trucks)

Tough and durable, yet priced fairly, the Firestone Winterforce CV is an excellent tire for companies that need to equip a whole fleet of snow-plowing trucks. Yes, Firestone doesn’t offer any treadwear warranty, but we know for a fact that this tire is durable.

The Firestone Winterforce CV doesn’t disappoint in the performance department as well. Thanks to the winter tread compound and aggressive directional tread pattern, this tire has enough traction and grip for the most severe winter conditions, including snow, ice, and slush. Your trucks will surely never stop, even when they encounter a lot of snow on the road.

6. Michelin Latitude X-Ice Xi2

Best Snow Plow Tires for Light Trucks

The Latitude X-Ice Xi2 possesses everything that an owner of a snow-plowing truck would want. First and foremost, it comes with a 40,000-mile treadwear warranty, which is by far the best result of any winter tire available on the market right now.

Then, the best-in-class traction and braking in freezing conditions, regardless of the surface. Snow, ice, or slush don’t pose a problem for the X-Ice Xi2 – it chews through them without an issue. This means that your snow-plowing truck won’t ever stop, regardless of the weather.

Finally, the Michelin also works on dry and wet surfaces, providing the driver with outstanding stability.

7. Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2

Best Snow Plow Tires for Light Trucks

The Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 is one of the best and most popular winter tires for SUVs and light trucks on the market. There is a reason for that – it works supremely well in very harsh wintry conditions.

The Blizzak brakes strongly and accelerates swiftly over snow or ice, giving the driver strong traction to tackle high amounts of snow. Bridgestone achieved this with the NanoPro Tech Multicell compound that has a water-loving hydrophilic coating that takes the water out of the snow. It sounds silly, but it totally works.

The DM-V2 is also very stable on dry and wet surfaces, even at higher speeds. With all that said, Bridgestone doesn’t offer any treadwear warranty, which is a shame given the price of the tire, but this is still one of the best snow plow tires for pickup trucks

8. General Grabber AT2

Best All-Terrain Tires for Snow Plowing

The General Grabber AT2 isn’t the most comfortable tire around, and it doesn’t work very well on dry and wet surfaces. However, these are things that don’t matter on very slippery surfaces, which is why we think this is an outstanding tire for snow plowing.

Thanks to the 5-Row Tread Pattern and Duragen Technology, the Grabber AT2 provides the driver with ample traction on packed and unpacked snow. Unlike many other all-terrain tires, the Grabber even works on ice, which is always welcome.

Moreover, the Grabber AT2 can be equipped with studs, which will transform it into a snow-plowing beast.

9. Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure with Kevlar

Best All-Terrain Tires for Snow Plowing

The best thing about the Wrangler Adventure is that the manufacturer offers a 60,000-mile treadwear warranty, regardless of the size or load rating. Being covered by a warranty is very important to minimize costs over time.

You shouldn’t worry about snow traction as well. The 3PMSF rating means that the Wrangler can be used in severe wintry conditions. Snow traction is excellent, both on packed and unpacked snow. Traction on icy roads is slightly worse, though, and the Wrangler can’t be studded.

On the positive side, this is one of the toughest tires on the market right now, and it’s also one of the best for off-roading.

10. BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2

Best All-Terrain Tires for Snow Plowing

The BFGoodrich T/A KO2 has long been a favorite among off-roaders thanks to the highly-capable tread compound and aggressive tread pattern.

For snow plowing, though, it is very important that the tire comes with the 3PMSF rating. Traction over packed and unpacked snow is among the best of any all-terrain tire, and there is even sufficient traction in slush.

Unlike other all-terrain tires, the BFGoodrich T/A KO2 can’t be studded, though. On the positive side, it does provide the driver with excellent traction and stability on dry and wet roads.

Best Tires for Snow Plowing: Buyer’s Guide

1. Winter Tires are the Best Tires for Snow Plowing

Obviously, winter tires will perform best for snow plowing trucks. They are designed to tackle freezing conditions and roads covered with snow, ice, and slush.

All winter tires that you purchase should have the 3PMSF (Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake) symbol imprinted on the sidewall. That symbol signifies that the tire is ready for use in severe wintry conditions.

The main component that makes winter tires so good in freezing conditions is the tread compound. Unlike other types, the tread compound of winter tires is designed to remain soft and pliable in very cold temperatures.

This makes winter tires usable in every weather, but only when the temperatures are low. With the best winter tires, you can easily tackle dry and wet roads, packed and unpacked snow, ice, and slush. Whatever you throw at them, they will manage it.

All-season and summer tires, on the other hand, become hard and brittle in freezing conditions. When that happens, the rubber in the tires behaves almost like plastic. And we think everyone can agree that driving on plastic tires isn’t that safe. Traction and grip will be severely limited, especially when driving over snow, ice, and slush.

But it’s not only about the tread compound. Winter tires also have a much more aggressive tread compound with deeper grooves and a lot of sipes across the tread. This gives them much better traction and braking performance over snow, ice, and slush.

More precisely, the deeper grooves take care of removing the snow beneath the tire. Over time, the grooves might get filled with snow, which will limit traction. That’s where the small sipes come into the spotlight.

Unlike the large grooves, snow can’t get into the small sipes. And if it gets, it will quickly start to melt due to the high pressure in the sipes. Some manufacturers even put nano bite particles that further enhance traction on snow.

Winter tires that have high-quality winter tread compounds, extra-aggressive tread design with many micro sipes, and nano bite particles are the best tires for snow plowing. They will give you extra traction when pushing the largest amount of snow, even if the surface is icy.

2. All-Terrain Tires are a Viable Alternative

Today, many tire manufacturers offer all-terrain tires with aggressive and heavily-siped tread patterns. This makes them an excellent option for driving on unpacked snow and slush.

The reason why all-terrain tires can’t drive over packed snow like winter tires is the tread compound. While many all-terrain tires have the 3PMSF (Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake) symbol, their compounds still aren’t as pliable in the winter. This limits traction on surfaces that can’t be easily excavated, such as packed snow or ice. On top of that, while all-terrain tires have siping, it’s nowhere near as prominent as on winter tires.

Apart from that, all-terrain tires are extremely capable of tackling snow. They have even deeper and more aggressive tread patterns than winter tires, which gives them even better traction on unpacked snow. On top of that, all-terrain tires have longer treadwear warranties. This alone makes them a very interesting proposition for companies that want to save money in the long run.

3. Are Mud-Terrain Tires Good for Snow?

Unlike all-terrain tires, mud-terrain tires don’t have micro siping on the tread. They do have an even more aggressive tread pattern, though, with very deep grooves, which helps the tire dig into the snow. However, while mud-terrain tires are very capable of tackling unpacked snow, they are very bad on packed snow or ice.

For example, when the snow melts a little and then freezes again (day and night cycle), a thin film of ice is created on top of the snow. In these conditions, mud-terrain tires can’t successfully dig into the snow, and they will only float over it.

This makes mud-terrain tires a poor choice for snow plowing. We recommend skipping mud-terrain tires and leave them to off-roaders.

4. Tire Dimensions Play a Big Role in Snow Traction

When ordering tires for snow plowing, you need to be sure that they will provide you with better snow traction, but also that they are strong enough to withstand all the forces.

When it comes to traction and braking, narrower tires are a much better choice. This happens because narrower tires put more pressure on a smaller surface, which helps them easily penetrate the snow.

When the tire penetrates the snow, it has an easier time getting traction, which is very important for snow plowing. Wider tires tend to float over the snow and have limited traction.

However, narrower tires usually have slightly lower load ratings than wider tires. In order to choose the best size, we recommend reading through the tire’s specifications and see if the load range rating and the maximum weight per tire are enough for your snow-plowing trucks.

It’s always best to find a middle ground. The tires should be narrow-enough to give your snow-plowing trucks better traction over snow, ice, and slush, but also wide enough to withstand the added weight.

5. Studded or Studless Winter Tires?

That’s a very good question for snow-plowing trucks. Studded tires have small metal studs on the tread, which helps tremendously on snow and ice. The small studs on the tire greatly improve traction over snow and slush, but especially when driving over icy surfaces.

Putting snow chains on your winter tires can improve traction on snow greatly, and most snow-plowing trucks have them installed. However, snow chains aren’t the best choice for driving on icy surfaces, which is something that you need to take into account.

That said, studded tires are a pain to use on dry and wet roads. They not only lack traction and grip but can also damage the roads, especially when you put them on a medium-duty or heavy-duty truck. In some areas, studded tires are also forbidden by authorities.

6. Should You Put Winter or All-Terrain Tires on All Four Wheels?

Considering the fact that most snow-plowing trucks have 4×4 systems for improved traction, putting winter or all-terrain tires is strongly recommended.

And even if your truck is rear-wheel-drive, we strongly recommend snow-plowing tires on all four wheels. Sure, over the snow, the driven wheels will help you easily accelerate with a good set of tires.

However, once you start turning, the front wheels won’t have enough grip, which might result in the vehicle spinning out of control.

Final Words

Companies and authorities are often pressured to spend as little money as possible on new equipment. We understand that fully, but in the case of tires, spending less might be a very bad approach. Very cheap tires not only lack the traction needed for snow plowing but are less durable and might be more expensive in the long run.

Now, we don’t say you should just go out and buy the most expensive tires. Luckily, there are many budget-oriented manufacturers that offer excellent winter and all-terrain tires at 10-20% discount when compared to the most expensive tires. Look through our list of the best tires for snow plowing, especially at the pros and cons, and see if you can overlook the tradeoffs.

In other words, be sure that you buy best snow plow tires from reputable and well-known manufacturers. They will surely get the snow-plowing job done!