We are quite lucky here. We get very little snow and not much disruption (Warrington). We get the side effects though as people get diverted away from the motorway network and into the town centre. Gridlock often ensues.
More generally, once the media get hold of a new phrase, they won't let it go. If you read the reports we are going to be "buried" in snow again. Well - no - actually we aren't. Some areas will get snow not everybody.
On tyres, my best bald tyre story came from one of many trips to Madeira. We went out on a trip in a people carrier type thing (transit van size). Good trip but hairy roads and we did get a heavy shower of rain at one point. On getting back to the hotel one of our travelling companions pointed to the rear tyres and said drily "Nice to have had a ride on Formula One tyres." They were like slick tyres, only a slight shadow of a tread. We had booked this through Thompsons so we all agreed to put a complaint in. The thing leaked as well!