6 UTV Tires For Snow Plowing That Prevent Getting Stuck

There’s nothing quite like waking up to a foot of fresh snow covering the path to the barn. That quiet beauty quickly turns to frustration when your UTV tires spin uselessly, leaving you stuck before you’ve even started plowing. The right set of tires isn’t a luxury; it’s the difference between a cleared driveway and a wasted morning.

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Maxxis Bighorn 2.0: All-Around Farm Performance

The Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 is the reliable farmhand of UTV tires. It’s not a specialist, but it does a respectable job at almost everything you throw at it, including moderate snow. Its radial construction provides a smoother ride than old-school bias-ply tires, which you’ll appreciate after an hour of plowing.

Think of the Bighorn 2.0 as your year-round solution. The non-directional tread pattern means you don’t have to worry about mounting them a certain way, and they offer predictable handling on dirt, gravel, and light snow. They shed mud and slush reasonably well, making them a solid choice if you only want to buy one set of tires for all four seasons on the farm.

However, its all-around nature is also its main tradeoff. While competent in a few inches of powder, the lugs aren’t aggressive enough to paddle through deep, heavy drifts. On sheer ice, you’ll find it wanting for grip. It’s the perfect tire for the farmer who deals with a little bit of everything but not an extreme amount of any one thing.

Kenda Bear Claw HTR for Hard-Packed Snow and Ice

Don’t let the less aggressive tread fool you; the Kenda Bear Claw HTR is a monster on hard-packed surfaces. Where deep-lugged tires can skate over frozen ground and ice, the HTR’s 8-ply radial design and unique tread pattern bite down hard. It’s built for control when conditions are slippery.

This tire shines on driveways that have been driven on, compacted, and then frozen over. The center-lug design and siping (small grooves in the tread blocks) provide extra edges to grip ice. This is the tire you want for that sloped path to the woodshed that turns into a luge run after a freezing rain event.

The Bear Claw HTR is not the best choice for deep, untouched powder. The lugs are not deep enough to churn through feet of fluffy snow like a more aggressive tire. But for the common reality of packed snow, icy patches, and frozen ground, it offers superior traction and control.

ITP TerraCross R/T: Excellent Traction in Slush

Slush is a unique challenge. It’s heavy, wet, and packs into tread voids, turning your tires into useless slicks. The ITP TerraCross R/T is engineered to combat this specific problem with its interlocking tread pattern and wide footprint.

The design excels at channeling water and slush away from the center of the tire, maintaining contact with the ground underneath. Its radial construction and thick sidewalls also mean it can handle the heavy load of a plow and a full load of firewood without issue. This tire gives you confidence when the snow starts to melt and get messy.

The TerraCross is a fantastic all-conditions tire, but its true value appears during those marginal days—late-season storms or mid-winter melts. If your property has low spots that collect water or your plowing season involves a lot of wet, heavy snow, this tire is a top contender.

Carlisle AT489 XL: A Durable, Classic Plow Tire

Sometimes, you just need a tire that works without any fuss. The Carlisle AT489 XL is that tire. It’s an evolution of a classic design that has proven itself for years on farms and trails, and the "XL" version offers a higher load rating and deeper lugs for better performance.

This is a true workhorse tire. Its rounded profile helps with steering and provides a stable, predictable feel when a heavy plow is mounted on the front of your UTV. It won’t win any awards for being the most aggressive, but its durability and reliability are hard to beat, especially for the price.

The AT489 XL is a great choice for general-purpose plowing on relatively flat ground with moderate snowfall. It’s a no-nonsense option that provides good-enough traction in most conditions without the harsh ride of a super-aggressive mud tire. It’s the definition of a dependable, get-the-job-done tool.

Sedona Rip-Saw R/T: Aggressive Lugs for Deep Snow

When you’re facing deep, heavy snowdrifts, you need a tire that acts like a paddle. The Sedona Rip-Saw R/T, with its intimidating 1-1/8" deep lugs, is designed to do exactly that. This tire doesn’t just roll over snow; it churns through it.

The aggressive, widely spaced tread pattern digs into deep powder and finds traction where other tires would just spin. This is the tire for clearing paths back to the sugar bush or breaking trail after a blizzard. Its 6-ply rated construction also means it’s tough enough to handle hidden rocks or frozen ruts under the snow.

The major tradeoff is ride quality. On hard-packed snow or cleared pavement, the Rip-Saw will be noticeably rough and noisy. It’s a specialist tool. If your biggest winter challenge is sheer volume of snow, the Rip-Saw is your best bet for staying unstuck.

System 3 XCR350: Radial Tire for a Smooth Ride

Plowing isn’t always a quick job. If you have a long lane or multiple areas to clear, ride comfort starts to matter. The System 3 XCR350 is a high-performance radial tire that puts a premium on a smooth ride without sacrificing traction.

Its 8-ply, DOT-rated construction means it’s tough and stable at speed, but its real advantage is the flexible sidewall of its radial design. This allows the tread to conform to the ground, creating a larger contact patch for better grip on snow and ice. The ride is significantly less jarring than a stiff, bias-ply tire.

This tire is an excellent choice for those who use their UTV for more than just plowing in the winter. If you’re also checking fence lines or hauling feed across frozen fields, the improved ride quality will reduce fatigue. It’s a premium option that blends performance with comfort.

Kenda Bear Claw vs. Maxxis Bighorn on Icy Drives

Choosing between the Bear Claw HTR and the Bighorn 2.0 often comes down to one question: what is your most common winter surface? Imagine a long gravel driveway with a slight incline. After a light snow and some traffic, it becomes a sheet of packed, icy material.

In this scenario, the Kenda Bear Claw HTR has the clear advantage. Its tread compound and siped lugs are specifically designed to find purchase on hard, slick surfaces. It provides the lateral stability you need to keep the plow straight without the back end trying to pass the front.

The Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 would handle the initial light snow just fine. But on the subsequent ice, its all-terrain design would struggle for grip more than the specialist Bear Claw. If your primary enemy is ice and hardpack, choose the Bear Claw; if you face more varied conditions with less severe ice, the Bighorn is the more versatile choice.

Adding Studs to ITP TerraCross for Extreme Grip

For those who face consistently icy conditions, even the best winter tire might not be enough. This is where studs come in. The ITP TerraCross R/T is often available in a "studdable" version, allowing you to add small metal studs for incredible ice traction.

Adding studs turns the TerraCross into an unstoppable ice-biting machine. It provides the ultimate grip for plowing on frozen lakes, steep icy driveways, or yards that have become skating rinks. You can install them yourself with a stud gun or have a tire shop do it.

The decision to stud your tires involves clear tradeoffs. Studs are noisy on pavement and can damage concrete or asphalt driveways. They are really intended for off-pavement use or on gravel lanes where damage isn’t a concern. If you need the absolute maximum grip on ice and aren’t worried about your driveway surface, studding a capable tire like the TerraCross is the ultimate solution.

Ultimately, the best snow plowing tire is the one that matches the winter you actually have, not the one you wish you had. Take an honest look at your property’s challenges—deep drifts, slick ice, or heavy slush—and choose the tool that will keep you moving. A smart tire choice is an investment that pays you back with every cleared path, saving you time, fuel, and a whole lot of frustration.