[c0nsumer]

Living in the upper Midwest here as well (Michigan) it's amazing how common the "you don't really need snow tires, you just need to know how to drive" is.

I drive pretty well, and getting snow tires made a huge difference in predictability. Braking is more consistent, acceleration is more consistent, and most importantly the point at which I lose traction when cornering is fairly consistent and predictable.

Yes, there's the overhead cost of a second set of wheels and TPMS sensors (because after a few years it's break-even with having the tires themselves swapped, and this way I can swap them myself when winter hits), but overall the cost isn't that significant because it offsets wear on my all-seasons. And it's so, so, so much better when it does snow. Or is icy. Or even is quite cold and just wet, because the tires are still flexible at temps when all seasons get quite hard and plasticky.