Probably because their only experience with snow is driving through a few hours of it. When I lived in CA we would sometimes go to big Bear Mountain and snow chains are a hell of a lot cheaper than a set of winter tires when you’re only going there once every five or six years. Visitors don’t understand that snow tires are a good idea bordering on a necessity for about five months a year and that snow chains are supposed to be left on for hours not days. It’s the same reason why tourists come here in winter in freeze because they have no idea how to dress for winter.