I live in Boise, which is the banana belt of Idaho. This last winter we had two snow storms: we got almost 6 inches in the middle of November which was really early, and we got maybe 1 inch on Christmas eve. I think the east coast got our snow this past year. Usually we get a handful of storms with a couple inches of snow at the most. They don't put down salt on the roads like they do in Salt Lake City (where I grew up). We're lucky if they even plow the freeway, which I don't drive to get to work. But it does get cold, so I feel more comfortable driving with a dedicated winter tire without studs. Yes, it is a ball to drive, which is the reason I've kept it so long after finding out that my wife didn't want my son driving it. And yes, it is rust free. It was a Texas car until 2013.