Winter tires feature big blocky treads, which move water and slush more efficiently, and softer rubber that maintains flexibility in cold temperatures. In hot temperatures that softness becomes a liability, which is why you need to swap out winter tires for all-season or all-weather once spring is sprung.
All-weather is a hybrid tire that can cover you in mild conditions, as well as some non-extreme winter conditions.
In a lot of ways, it's the best of both worlds. You're getting strong performance in summer, spring and fall months, similar to the all-season, but you're also getting good performance in the winter season. Plus, winter tires require change over and storage, while all-weather are used all year, so you're unburdened from that winter tires cost.
All-season tires offer optimal performance during spring, summer, and fall. In fact, some companies have begun renaming all-season tires "3 season tires". Unfortunately, this is not an ideal tire for sub-zero, snowy winter conditions. These tires tend to lose grip at temperatures below 7 degrees Celsius.
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