31s all terrain vs 33s Mud tires for snow, first time snow driving

[joseluis.17g]

Hi!

Let me give you some context, where I'm from it never snows, once every 10 years maybe
and there's a high posibility that there will be snow for a few days next week, so I'm planning on going to the local trail to do some snow camping
I have to set of tires, one set is a 265/70r17 31.6 wrangler all terrain adventure which I put on for daily driving and ligth trips, and the other set I have are a set of 255/85r16 yokohama geolande MT 03 which is a 33 inch tire

so my research tells me that the all terrains are way better at snow than the MT but all comparison i've seen are the same size tire, that's why I prefer to ask to you guys whom have real snow driving expirence

the 33 inch tires can have their pressure lowered a lot more than the all terrains, they have a much bigger side wall


it's an easy trail, the ground clerance won't be an issue, and theres like a 100 mile highway drive to the mountain, so keep that in mind



thank you

 

[trail_runn4r]

Hi!

Let me give you some context, where I'm from it never snows, once every 10 years maybe
and there's a high posibility that there will be snow for a few days next week, so I'm planning on going to the local trail to do some snow camping
I have to set of tires, one set is a 265/70r17 31.6 wrangler all terrain adventure which I put on for daily driving and ligth trips, and the other set I have are a set of 255/85r16 yokohama geolande MT 03 which is a 33 inch tire

so my research tells me that the all terrains are way better at snow than the MT but all comparison i've seen are the same size tire, that's why I prefer to ask to you guys whom have real snow driving expirence

the 33 inch tires can have their pressure lowered a lot more than the all terrains, they have a much bigger side wall


it's an easy trail, the ground clerance won't be an issue, and theres like a 100 mile highway drive to the mountain, so keep that in mind



thank you

It mostly depends on the amount of snow you are expecting. Bigger tires will help you "float" so they are better for deeper snow. If you only get a few inches, skinner tires are better so you can dig through the snow later and reach dirt.

 

[DintDobbs]

@joseluis.17g If either are rated for snow, use the ones that are rated for snow.

What @trail_runn4r said also applies - if the snow is shallow, it's probably best to try to cut through it and drive on the solid ground below. If you have to drive on loose snow (or worse, ice) then a wider tire is to your advantage. Tire height isn't nearly as important as tire width and tread pattern.

 

[Arailt]

I've had better luck with mud terrains in off road snow. They help dig through the snow and clear easier than ATs do. MTs in my experience are not great for on road snowy/slick conditions. They tend to break loose fast in slick conditions where there might only be ~1-2" of snow or just a dusting.

For on road that can also off-road, I agree that a "snow rated" AT is the way to go because they usually have siping for increased traction in snow and wet pavement conditions.

The best tires on road in the snow are dedicated snow tires with aggressive siping (Bridgestone Blizzak or similar), but those tires won't get you far off road. Hope this helps.