is it cheaper to purchase snow wheel/tire comb now or during winter? i noticed that tirerack has Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50 225/55/17 on clearance for 99 each. thanks.

 

It's best to buy in the Spring, or Summer. If you wait until too close to the Winter, some places may have less of a selection.

I recommend getting a set of inexpensive rims to permanantly mount your winter tires on. The extra $400 or so you'll spend on rims will save you a lot of time and money at the shop getting the tires mounted and balanced every time you want to swap back and forth between winter and summer tires.

You can also look for a good set of used tires / wheels. This may be a bit unsolicited, but I have a set of winter tires and wheels I'm trying to sell. I used them in New England, but now I'm moving to Hawaii and just don't need them any more. If you are interested, check this post:
https://g35driver.com/forums/archived-sales/163496-winter-tire-wheel-package.html

Eddie