I think user location and local weather plays a big factor in everyone's experience and opinion, but I don't think that it means that is how it will be everywhere.
When I lived in a colder climate, it was snowing and cold by Thanksgiving and never warmed up until spring. The ice and packed snow was often times hard to walk on, as it was slick, but even all-season tires could get traction. It was really cold, and the ice was dry.
I can tell you that the Toyo M-55, Toyo R/T, Toyo Open Country, and Nitto EXO do not do well on the wet ice here. I think the Duratrac is marginally better, but I have had to recover rigs running them. Cooper AT, KO2, etc. are all basically the same. Like ice skates on this wet ice.
I'm in Eastern ND, we get cold, stay cold, and it's a "dry" cold. Our "ice" is actually very densely packed snow that's then polished by blowing snow and traffic. In those conditions, and on a heavier diesel 3/4-1tn, the Exo's are the best I've used, and I've used quite a few in a bit over 200K Mi between 2 diesel pickups.
We get that "wet-ice" stuff you're talking about every once in a great while. Usually around Thanksgiving or in Apr, comes down as freezing rain w/ground temps just below freezing, it's a mess. Dedicated snow-tires IE Blizzak and the like are about all that stick to that stuff sans chains/studs.
