Thanks everyone for your advice. I realize my question was quite basic, but the responses have been very helpful and useful, which I appreciate. I had no idea the summer tires struggle even in dry, cold conditions, which is alarming and means I will definitely look into buying a pair of winter tires.
It appears that there are many different brands and types of winter tires - I would appreciate any recommendations given my situation. Something that could be used in these cold conditions, and possibly in 1 or so inches of snow. If there is more I simply will not drive, since it seems like the risk of damage is huge. Ideally a compound that would be long lasting as well, since it would be annoying to buy winter tires every year or to have to switch them as soon as the ground clears of snow.
Finally, how does this process work? I would prefer to stick with my 19' wheels- the road to work is pretty good, and i
know it well, so the risk of warping the wheel on potholes etc is low. Do I need to buy a set of winter tires only? Will tire rack or another company will
install them for me? Or do these winter tires require different wheels or other configuration changes? I'd prefer a professional
install my tires and ideally store them too - i live in a small
apartment and have only one car, so space is very tight. Do they do tire storage as well (of my PS2s?)
I realize that I could research this online, but honestly I feel that all of you are a far more accurate resource than a biased dealer or tire company
thanks once again