Claudia, I'm not a Chicago native so I'm not really the best person to ask, but I was given the same info as your daughter when I moved here. We shipped my car from California and did not make any adjustments to the tires. They are pretty good about plowing the roads here, so her all season tires should be fine!

Thanks, Marianna. That eases my mind.

Marianna, please report back on that store, will you?
Good luck in your search - I totally understand your frustration.
BTW I think those Munro booties should work well under the trousers, their toebox is refined enough...

I'm still home sick with the crud from heck. I found this website

http://www.tallwomen.org/shoes/usa/

Claudia, I have lived in Chicago for over 20 years and have never needed snow tires!

Thanks for the additional snow tire info, Kristen. I had visions of all the cars abandoned on Lakeshore Drive during that snowstorm last winter!