well I dont know much about her location but here is the california definition.
3 stages of chain restrictions.
R-1: Chains required. Passenger vehicles and light trucks OK with snow tires (only required on drive axle.) ALL VEHICLES MUST CARRY CHAINS.
R-2: Chains required. 4 wheel drive OK with snow tires (presumably required on all 4 corners). ALL VEHICLES MUST CARRY CHAINS.
R-3: All vehicles must chain up. NO EXCEPTIONS.
R-3 roads are usually closed first.
Would you trust your daughter to do a brake job on her audi?
its probably easier than correctly installing chains during a snowstorm in bad conditions.
but you are in luck the owners manual for the audi specifically states no chains IIRC.
so she can carry them for the law but wont be using them.
Chains are mildly terrible on road (good on tractor etc)
you will be driving 10mph and checking them every mile or 2. If its that bad its stay home time anyway.
Get good winter tires on separate wheels such as blizzak ws-90, continential vikingcontact 7, nokian R3 etc.
Here's Washington, although the nearby locations to visit would include British Columbia and Oregon.
They claim 4 escalating conditions:
TRACTION TIRES ADVISED (all season)
TRACTION TIRES REQUIRED
TIRE CHAINS REQUIRED (with an exception for AWD/4WD)
CHAINS REQUIRED ON ALL VEHICLES
There's a 5th condition which is road closed. I've understood that the California R3 condition almost never happens, because Caltrans, counties, or the National Park Service (which operates under California chain standards in California) will just close a road. But they have a requirement that all vehicles much carry chains when there are chain conditions, although I've been never asked to show them in my Subaru.
I've heard that studded tires are somewhat overrated, as they really only help if there's ice.
It looks like Washington also allows "chain monkeys" or mobile installers to install, remove, and repair chains. There's also a fixed service price set by the state. They're not allowed to sell chains though.
WSDOT issues permits allowing businesses and individuals to install and remove motorist-owned tire chains
wsdot.wa.gov
What will it cost?
- Passenger vehicle/light duty truck chain installation: $25 per vehicle
- Passenger vehicle/light duty truck chain removal: $10 per vehicle
- Sale of chain tighteners/elastic cords $3 each tightener or cord
- Repair of broken or missing chain link $5 each link
- Large truck (vehicles over 10,000 GVW) - chain installation: $25 per tire chained
- Large truck (vehicles over 10,000 GVW) - Chain removal: $5 per tire chain removed
As for the alternatives, the Washington State Patrol does have a list of approved alternative traction control devices that will be allowed to substitute for chains, but not everything is on it. I don't see the one from Michelin, although that might have been discontinued. Strike that - the SOS Grip is their latest offering. They don't specially say what's needed for AWD, but I suppose the usual requirement is to put them on the front wheels for steering and
My French sucks. Anyone can translate?