I think what might make this tough for midwestern states is that the snow doesn't stick around all winter. It's not unheard of to have 4-5 big snows that melt relatively quickly and most of the winter you're just dealing with cold weather. If you won't have a reliable snow pack you can guarantee you'll be driving on for three or four months it's hard to justify swapping out for snow tires or chains.
Exactly. My area gets snow 3-4 times per year, usually less than a foot. It is often gone within a couple of days. Our worst storm this year (roughly 15" of snow), the roads were cleared within a day or two. No way is it economical to buy snow tires; and snow tires damage roadways.
Get the winter set mounted on a second set of steel rims. It's a 45 minute job with the scissor jack that came with the car, less with anything better.
It's a nice excuse to spend a little time outside on a pleasant spring or fall afternoon.
This is exactly what I do. Just have your winter tires on another set of rims and use the jack that came with the car. I do have a impact driver to make getting the lugs on and off a lot faster though.
