The same materials summer tires are made of. They just have a different tread pattern.
Tires are made for the conditions that they are driven in. Therefore if you live in an area that has cold winters, that is it snows for a large portion of the winter, you probably should purchase winter tires. If you are living in Florida for example winter tires would not be required and year round tires would be sufficient.
Both Winter and Snow tires have a more aggressive tread pattern and are made of a softer rubber that grips better in cold weather. I believe that snow tires have a still more aggressive tread pattern than winter tires.
If you are driving in the area where the road is slippery to use winter tires.
Winter tires are crucial for safety during the winter months. The better grip are important for both stopping in time and accelerating on ice. It is suggested everyone buy a set of winter tires, they could save your life.
Yes, it is generally cheaper to keep summer and winter tires on their own rims
Cooper Tires
Anyplace that sells Medalist tires.
Winter Handler Ice and Snow tires are manufactured by Firestone.
No need to change sizes with winter specialty tires. If your vehicle came with p235/75r15 tires, you can install the same size in a winter tire. Congrats on selecting a superior traction tire for safe winter driving, I suggest looking into the Nokian line of winter specialty tires if they are available in your area.
Blizzak tires are made specifically for winter driving on snow and ice. They are manufactured by Bridgestone and sold by outlets such as NTB and Tire Rack.
Wanti tires are for use in passenger vehicles and of broad variety of light trucks. The tires supply as high performance in summer winter as they are in winter.
There are winter tires that are very good to have if you live in an area with a lot of snow and ice. Winter tires provide more traction and are more flexible than all-season tires, so they give you more control on the road and are more durable in the cold.