Snow chains and winter tires: how to install and when required

The first real snowstorm of the year separates drivers who prepared from drivers who are now sliding through an intersection at three miles an hour. Snow chains and winter tires are the two tools that keep you moving and stopping when the road turns white, and in some places chains are not optional, they are the law. Yet plenty of drivers have never installed a set of chains and only find out how in a freezing parking lot at the base of a mountain pass. This guide covers snow chains and winter tires: how to install chains, when they are legally required in the US, how the two compare, and what to check on winter tires when buying a used car.

Winter tires vs snow chains: what does what

These solve overlapping problems in different ways, and understanding the difference decides what you actually need.

Winter tires (sometimes called snow tires) use a special rubber compound that stays soft in the cold and a tread pattern designed to bite into snow. They work every time you drive, on every road, with no setup. The tradeoff is that you have to swap them on in fall and off in spring, and buy a second set. They are the better everyday solution for anyone who regularly drives in cold, snowy weather. All-season tires are a compromise that do neither job as well, and their tread and traction fade in deep cold.

Snow chains are metal or composite links that wrap around your drive tires to dig into packed snow and ice. They provide huge traction, but only at low speeds, and they are meant for temporary use on snow-covered roads. You would never drive on chains at highway speed on bare pavement, it damages the road and the chains. Chains live in your trunk for the specific stretch of snowy mountain road where they are required or genuinely needed.

When are chains legally required?

In the US, chain requirements are a Western mountain thing, most prominently in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and other states with high passes. During storms, authorities post chain control levels, and signs or highway message boards tell you what is required. Depending on the level, you may be required to carry chains, install chains, or you may be exempt if you have four-wheel drive with adequate snow tires. Ignoring an active chain control can mean a fine and getting turned around.

The practical rule: if you are heading into the mountains in winter, carry chains that fit your tires, check the state DOT road conditions before you leave, and know that “R2” and similar chain-control designations mean chains or an approved traction-tire equivalent. Requirements and terminology vary by state, so check the specific route.

How to install snow chains

Practice this once at home in daylight, not for the first time in a blizzard. The general steps:

1. Pull off the road somewhere safe and flat, engine off, hazards on.
2. Identify your drive wheels. Chains go on the wheels that get power: the front on a front-wheel-drive car, the rear on rear-wheel-drive. Check your owner’s manual for all-wheel-drive.
3. Lay each chain out flat and untangled next to the correct tire so you can see there are no twists.
4. Drape the chain over the top of the tire, with the smooth side against the tire and any tensioner hooks facing out.
5. Feed the chain behind the tire and connect it on the inside first, at the back of the wheel, which is the awkward reach.
6. Fasten the outer connection and hook up the tensioner or cam locks to snug it down.
7. Drive forward a short distance and re-tighten, because chains settle and loosen after the first few feet.

Keep your speed low, usually under about 30 mph, and drive smoothly with no hard braking or sharp turns. Remove the chains once you are back on clear pavement.

What it means when buying a used car in a winter climate

If you are buying a used car where winters are serious, the tires that come with it matter. Ask whether the seller has a set of winter tires to include, since a second mounted set has real value and saves you a few hundred dollars.

Inspect whatever tires are on the car. Look at the tread depth and the manufacture date, because old tires harden and lose grip even with tread left; the when to replace tires by tread and DOT date guide explains how to read that stamp. Confirm the tires match in brand and size across an axle, and check the tire pressure and TPMS system works, since cold weather drops pressure and lights up the TPMS. Fold tire condition into your overall used-car inspection, and if the region requires chains, budget for a set that fits.

The MotoPPI inspection checklist includes tire condition and TPMS, so you know before buying whether you are inheriting good winter rubber or a set you will need to replace before the first storm.

The bottom line

Winter tires are the better everyday answer for anyone who drives in real cold and snow, working automatically on every road. Snow chains are a specialized tool for low-speed traction on snow-covered mountain roads, and in the Western US they are sometimes legally required during storms, so carry a set that fits if your route climbs into the passes. Practice installing chains once before you actually need them, keep your speed down while they are on, and when buying a used car for winter country, treat the included tires as part of the deal’s real value.