The winter is still young but storms have dumped a lot of snow in the U.S. already and forecasts suggest there is more to come, especially in the Northeast. Some in the tire industry say the widespread snow may raise awareness of and demand for winter tires.

According to Tire Rack, a mail-order tire retailer known in part for its tire-testing programs, snow covered 68% of the U.S. as of Tuesday, and every state except Florida has snow on the ground. The National Weather Service confirms this, and what it really means is that...