Well, at this point you really shouldn't need them for another 8-9 months (even in Boston or Chicago), but...

There are basically two kinds of winter tires:

a. Tires that are superb on ice and snow, and so-so for ride and traction when the temperatures warm up. These include the Michelin Arctic Alpin and the Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50, and typically cost $80-90 per tire.

b. Tires that are pretty good on ice and snow (although not as good as those above), and better for ride and traction when the temperatures warm up. These include the Michelin Pilot Alpin and the Bridgestone Blizzak LM-22, and typically cost $105-115 per tire.

All four of these tires come in the stock size of 195/55-15 and fit on the stock ITR rim.

Someone who lives in Boston or Chicago or wants them as an absolute guarantee of getting where you're going in even the worst conditions might want to get one of the tires in category (a), while someone who cares about ride quality and/or lives in a moderate winter climate like St. Louis or Washington DC might go with category (b).

You can check out comparison test results on the Tire Rack website. They compared the Arctic Alpin against the WS-50 and found that the Michelin was slightly better for ride quality, the Blizzak slightly better for grip on ice.