Or ice of any color.
Studs take all the drama out of winter riding. Besides letting your ride safely on ice, the also let you stop and steer on it.
I was riding mid-pack on a group ride last night (26 riders, snowing, temps in the lower 20s). Pulling up to a stop sign, the front riders began calling out "Ice, right". I saw snow, but not ice. Then I put my foot down after stopping. I had stopped on the (white) ice which was hidden under the snow. My foot slid a little when I put it down, but holding the brakes kept me in place. Then two (studless) riders behind me slid into the back of my bike. Ooopsie!
The point here is that the studs work so well, I needed my foot and other riders to know I was even on ice.
tsl I live just south of you, so similar weather, just a bit less snow. My commute does involve hills, and I've considered studs for all the reasons listed in this and other threads on riding on icy roads.
But as you know the weather around here can be pretty variable. If I knew I'd be commuting on snow and ice all winter I'd have no hesitation. But sometimes we get dry or warmer spells in which there's no ice or snow.
How do studded tires affect performance on dry roads? If I want to go out and do a 20 mile ride, including hills, on dry roads, what effect will studs have?