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Geez, is it winter tire time already? If you haven't bought a set of winter tires in several years, you're probably not familiar with the Blizzak and other studless "severe winter tires" (look for a snowflake symbol on the tire). These have come a long way in a few years to the point that they are a viable alternative to studded tires for most people. They ride better, are much quieter, don't damage the road, and perform better than studs on dry and wet roads. Studded tires do somewhat better on ice and deep snow. The two tires are generally a toss-up on packed snow and slush. The Nokian website < http://www.nokiantires.com/indexen.html> has a chart comparing their winter tires under "test information."
There are many good winter tires, both studded and studless. Look at Bridgestone, Gislaved, Goodyear, Michelin, Nokian, Pirelli, and Toyo for starters. Each manufacturer aims at certain performance characteristics in their tires. For example, among the studless tires Bridgestone, Michelin and Nokian have the best hill-climbing scores in tests. Some tires are more well rounded than others. It all depends on what you want.
If you go for Bridgestone, the Blizzak comes in several flavors. Consider the MZ-02 or the WS-50. The former is slightly better on ice, the later (which is what I have) is slightly better on snow & slush. Both are only fair on pavement (compared to summer tires) and wear quickly, so don't leave them on longer than necessary.
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