With winter fast approaching, and snow covering parts of the higher elevations in the Rockies and even in some areas of the upper plains, many may be thinking of winter tires, or installing them if they already have them.

I suppose I'm one of the lucky few who just need to mount my winter tires. If you are still thinking about winter tires, here are some tips and pointers on what you should be looking at and what to avoid.

Many ask if snow tires are even necessary. And while some areas that aren't in the snow belt don't need them, there are certainly areas that get a lot of snow- just think back to how rare snow is in D.C. and how many blizzards they had in 2009!

First- to answer a common misconception. Some motorists for a wider tire to grip more in the snow, but the truth is that you want a skinnier tire on your vehicle for such months. The reasoning is that with a wider tire, it'll be more difficult to plow through the slush and snow. A skinnier tire will make it easier for your car to get through, and limit you spinning the tires and wasting gasoline.

Often times it's also smart to go down to a smaller diameter tire if possible or economical. If your stock tire size is 17", this would mean getting 16" tires and getting cheap steel wheels as well. This will save your factory wheels from the wear, tear, and salt of winter.

Think you don't need winter tires because you have ABS? Think again. While ABS will help keep you from locking up your tires, it doesn't actually improve your tire's traction, so while you won't lock your brakes up, you still will need a longer distance to brake. Snow tires cut into the snow with sipes to provide additional grip and cut down on your stopping distance in poor conditions.

Winter tires are generally a softer rubber as well, so while they don't offer longevity in hot or warm situations, they'll last a good amount of time across several long snowy winters.

While you could drive slow and be ultra careful in the snowy months, its smarter to look into winter tires so that you have safe, smooth driving during winter storms and large snowfall events.