Gary. try winter compound tires. you will be amazed....

When you say 19" performance tires...you should be a little more specific. I'll assume you mean the Michelin Diamaris. I can tell you from personal experience that these tires are downright dangerous in any amount of snow... and I'm a person who loves driving in snow. They can make a few inches of snow feel like ice. The compound is simply not suited for cold temperatures and lack of tread grooves prevents it from biting on snow.

You can get a dedicated set of snow tires... but for the amount of snow you mentioned, it may be overkill. For occasional light snow, I would recommend going with the all-season Michelin Lattitude. I switched to them from the Diamaris and love them. Its Michelin's all season tire that fits the X5's 19's in larger widths. Great treadwear rating, good handling in dry and wet, and enough sipes and grooves to do well in light snow. Drove it in four inches of snow last year and had a hard time making it loose traction.

Well, I got my answer tonight.

Bellingham was forecast to get one to six inches of snow; then it was reduced to one to three; then finally no snow at all.

So, I decided to take a trip tonight to a local casino (won $150), had dinner, and then decided to go home. Outside, there was 2.5 - 3 inches of snow.

Started the car, drove a few feet in the parking lot, and since it felt OK, I decided to go home instead of becoming a guest of the local tribe.

During the 26 mile trip to drop off a friend and get back to my apartment, I had no trouble with the go and the cautious slow, however, there was one incident where the X decided on it's own to make a left turn. I was on a down slope in a banked section of the road.

Getting the friend back to his motel was no biggie, but then I did have to descend a steep hill to get back to the apt. I crept down the hill as slow as I could and timed my entry into the intersection - where I had to make a right turn - with the changing of the light.

With cautious braking I was able to get down the hill without sliding, however, the turn was a complete miss.

So, now that I have personal experience I will say:

If you absolutely have to get somewhere in 3- inches of snow, the Damaris 19 inch tires on relatively flat terrain, the X5 can probably make it. However you have to go really, really slow - and hope that nobody on the road does anything that causes you to have to react.

These tires have plenty of go, but any kind of turn above 5 mph - or any sudden turn or stop is a good opportunity to customize your sheet metal.

I would NOT recommend that anyone use these tires in the snow unless they absolutely have to. So unless the streets clear tomorrow - Monday I will be a bus passenger - and damn glad to be one.

It was your lucky day !

150 bucks in the Lummi's casino and no accident with the X5 despite thoses tires...

I've just seen this Topic, I'm going to switzerland on next WE and I have my 18" weels with M+S BFGoodrich tires. That's the best equipement according to my snow driving experience.

Enjoy the snow today ;)))

Glad you are OK! Congrats on the 150! :p:
It's all about the compound, that summer rubber just freezes SOLID and you gots no chance at real traction.
Enjoy the weather while you have it.

its no problem crawling around on sommertyres in snow, the problem is stopping! if a child runs out or you need to brake the problems start. By a set of steel rims whit a small dim good kvality wintertyres, i supose its not to expensive. Its the chipest ensuranse you can get. Merry cristmas from Norway.

Spent $200 for s6 Z cable chains. Definitely wasn't going to blow a grand or so on tires for a few trips.

The chains are just for pure emergency... I have been enjoying the bus for a week.