Where I live in Missouri we see very few snow tires, but I have dealt with them. They are pretty tough. They hold up really well on light cars, There is a couple of Ford Aspire type cars that run Goodyear Grippers year round for the past 2-3 years (same set, I sold them/put them on)

I run the Uniroyal Liberators. Great all-around tire. They hold their own in snow, especially with extra weight in the back of my truck. They are aggressive without being noisy. They are not snow tires though, but IMO the best for my truck.

The Goodyear Tracker 2 is pretty much only good for the highway. If they are 1/2 worn they are useless in snow/ice/water/wet pavement/hard cornering/general traction (yes I owned a set, yes I hated them). The new Bridgestone tires look good but are not tough, they have tread designs that appeal to people, not tire guys. I ran a set of Firestone FireHawks about 8 years ago and loved them, but remember having a lot of fun in snow too (traction problems) I have yet to hear about Bridgestone performance in snow.

If I wanted an outstanding set of mind-blowing tires I would look into Michelin, they will blow out your wallet too but are worth the hit.

I sell these tires so I am biased. You can get any of these tires at your local Wal-mart.

Word to the wise, Wal-mart has some funny ideas on tires.