I'm with Jonathan and Juda as a happy rider of Nokian Hakkapeliitta W106. Last I checked, they were $37 at
BikeStop
They're great in everything but icy ruts (no side studs to assist in climbing out). In hard-pack, slush, the wet or the dry, they're just as grippy and confidence-inspiring as my regular road tires are in the dry.
Two of my friends here in Munising have W106s on order. I'm most eager to trade bikes with them once we get some snow on the ground, to compare the W106s to the 300s that I currently ride.
BTW, I second what you said about switching back to regular tires in the spring. It was like I could suddenly fly uphill. Amazing. And I've been able to clean long, steep hills in one go this summer that a year ago would've had me stopping a half-dozen times.
I'm looking forward to this winter, for sure.