Maybe I should try the conti's before buying other tires but instinct tells me to buy snow tires.

As for global warming and no snow falling in Pa. Don't believe it. Certain areas can get socked with snowfall. Since the 2000 year, there has been two winter ski seasons with over 200 inches of snowfall! One of the places I ski at averages nearly 125 inches a season while another (near Lake Erie) averages nearly 90 inches. The Pa cities you have heard of, normally do not receive anywhere near this much snowfall.