They worked!! 
It snowed real good tonight, all wet and heavy. I got to the road my complex is on, right behind some kind of SUV. I watched the SUV spin its wheels, moving itty bitty amounts at a time.
I waited for a while, to see if I could get around it. Then I just went around it. No spinning wheels, no nasty noises. Just drove. Then I got to the REAL hill... and went right up it!
Yes! The tire search was worth it. I was going to tell the guy in the SUV he should get better tires, but it was a woman on a cell phone. No crowing allowed.
Ah well, I can't have everything.
I
did fill the gas tank first. That might matter a bit.