Are Sand Tires Good on Snow

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If you know about tire types, you know that sand and snow tires have some similarities. Imagine you have sand tires in your car, but you have no option left but to drive on snowy tracks for some reason. 

Technically, your sand tires have the ability to run on snow. But you might have these questions in mind – are sand tires good on snow, or how reliable would the tires be under such a circumstance?

Well, sand tires are good on light snow — anything less than 6 inches is fine. They don’t face any difficulties on ice either. But, there are a few things to know first before you take your sand tires out on the snow right away.

Some Characteristics of Sand Tires

Sand tires aren’t as groovy as regular tires. Grooves provide excellent grip on the road. But these tires tend to slip on sand. So, sand tires avoid deep grooves to restrict sand or mud from getting stuck inside them, avoiding skidding. 

Some tires have less rough surfaces with only paddled ridges. They are called Paddle Tires. The paddles help push away the sands backward, providing traction for your car. These tires are designed to reduce digging down into sand or mud; this provides good grip and control and ensures you don’t get stuck.

As they don’t dig much into the surface, less juice is required for driving. It minimizes fuel consumption and is cost-efficient. These mentioned properties help sand tires be good for conditions like snow as well.

Suggested Guide: Why Are Sand Tires Smooth?

Why Sand Tires Are Good on Snow

Sandy and Snowy terrains aren’t much different in their composition. Paddle sand tires can also effectively push back snow; this provides traction even in snowy terrain. Their non-groovy design helps for snow to not get trapped inside the tires, which avoids skidding away. 

It further prevents water drainage issues when the snow starts melting due to temperature or the heat from friction. 

The groove design similarly prevents excessive digging down into the snow, increasing efficiency.

So, the design choices of sand tires also make them good for snow. There are a lot of good sand tires on the market you can take a look at that ensures these specific qualities.

Things to Keep in Mind When Using Sand Tires on Snow

Nevertheless, sand tires are made specifically for sand, not snow. So, you should keep a few things in mind before you take them out on your next trip — 

  • Be sure to check if the snow is less than 6 inches before stepping outside.
  • Your vehicle might dig down more into the snow because snow is powdery and not as dense as sand.
  • Make sure your tires have a directional tread pattern for proper control.
  • Avoid reaching high speeds. Sand tires aren’t optimized perfectly for fast driving on snow and may cause excessive skidding.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, you can now confidently answer the question are sand tires good on snow. 

As it turns out, you can’t push them that much on snow. These tires are best suited for sand, wet surfaces, hard ice, and only light snow. Anything more, and they can turn into a public hazard. 

So I would recommend investing in a set of snow-specific tires if you’re planning on going out on too much harsh and snowy terrain. 

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