Snow tires

[mc84_zz4]

I lived in Colorado for 11 yrs and had snow tires from the first winter season.
The last 6 years I used studded tires on the rear of my SS, and it was by far the best investment I could have made.
Granted that was at 6,500 ft above sea level, so plenty of potential for ice.

I suggest an aggressive 'ribbed' or 'line' type tread up front, kind of like a tractor front tire, the grooves help the steering, the rear tires need to stay behind the car for the best control, the more open paddle type tire, the better (IMO).
If you get all 4 to match, get the open tread design on all 4. I prefferred not to stud the front tires as the wear on the corners faster, once the front tire throws one or two studs, you need to pull them all out (front only), or replace the tire.
You could have studs shoot thru your inner fenders (this takes about 20K miles to reach, depending, BTW)
I had 2 studs perforate the rear inner fenders, probably due to tire spin (?), or worn tire.

If you state allows studded, get them, you can stop, go, and turn with all the control you would want.
I used a 255/50/15 for summer and a 205/70/15 for winter I had 225/70/15s before, and liked the 205s better.
The narrower snow tire will cut thru the loose snow layer faster, and get traction on the harder surface below.
I kept separate wheel/tire sets, it extends the life of both of them to years of use.
They look like old Jeep CJ tires, but they work fantastic, you should see some surprised people at the ski resorts, plowing through like a 4WD with those tires.

Snow tires are not meant for summer temperatures, the rubber is too soft, and at extended highway speeds, they buildup too much heat, highly NOT recommended leaving them on in warmer months.

[wmhjr]

Having used studs in the past, and "snow tires" (like Blizzaks, Michelin X-Ice or Alpin, etc) more recently - if it's really icy, studs work well. If it's not, studs are actually a disadvantage. Driving multiple vehicles (both front wheel drive and rear wheel drive in addition to AWD) in the northeast over varied terrain (hilly in SW PA, flat in central PA, NY and Mass), my experience is that unless you're in really high elevation with tons of ice all the time, the newer versions of snow tires like Blizzaks have pretty much made studs irrelevant. They're better all around than studs. Having a second set of wheels is exactly what I recommend as well. Never lived in CO but spend a reasonable amount of time there. Never had studs there and never had an issue, but I'm sure living there is a lot different. More extreme conditions can call for more extreme solutions. Studs? Last time I installed studs was back in the 70s.

Be careful though. Some states either prohibit studs altogether or only allow them during specific time periods. They are pretty rough on road surfaces, and frankly in dry weather they are less safe. YMMV

[justasquid]

I have 18's on my bonneville for summer, but have 16's with snows mounted to them for winter. If I were you, I'd get your snows on a set of 16's since you buying the rims anyway. From my experience, the narrower tire and taller sidewall are a huge benefit when running the 16's in the winter. you have more give with taller sidewall and for snow conditions, the more the tire is able to flex, the more it is able grip. Also, the rims and tires will be cheaper, and you will have a better selection of tires to choose from. Plus, you can run lower air pressure with a 16 which also helps the tire flex and grip.

I am currently running a set of Hankook winter I pick tires. They are cheaper than most, but perform awesome. they really shine on icey roads. they have a directional pattern, and are quiet on the road. Every tire has its stregths, and these are braking, ice, and lateral control. They give up a little in traction for taking off, but the benifits of once your under way was appealing to me. plus, they still take off way better than any all season tire ever could. They are not the best tire out there, but do all the things I need.

what ever tire you get, make sure it has a lot of sipes in it. This is what helps grip in icey and hard packed conditions.

[megaladon6]

i'd get a set of 16 steel rims, this way if she hits a chunk of ice or a rock/curb you have the extra sidewall and you won't break the rim.
we don't get enough ice to warrant studs especially given the capabilities of new winter tires. and i think they're illegal in CT. i've been running Nokian RSi's for 5yrs and just got the new R's. they are great tires, ice and snow. i've driven ice-x, blizzaks, and the dunlops and IMO the nokian is better. the michellin are only good for one season due to the thin super soft outer layer. the nokians i actually drove on during the summer w/out any extra wear (no money for summer tires). 2 of the tires lasted 5yrs and the others 2 and 3 years (6 tires/5yrs total)
the nokians are also known to handle quite well even on dry roads. the only weak spot i've found on them is light rain--they take a little longer to stop and start. heavy rain, light/heavy snow-no problem. but they are extremely predictable and easy to drive on.