I'm a new jeep owner, just got a stock 03 Saraha with 13000 miles on it about 2 weeks ago and i immediately started thinking..this looks lame. my dad had a cj5 with 35s and i cant let him see my toy in its current condition.

i live in toronto, and we get snow packed highways/roads, i'm trying to decide between nitto mud grappler 33x13.5 or 33x11.5 once i do my 3.5" rubicon express short arm lift. the only difference other than the width is the fact that the 13.5" come on a 15" rim, and the 11.5 on a 16", i can also goto a 33x12.5, but those are on 17" rims.

will the difference in tire width make that much of a difference in the way the vehicle will handle in packed snow?

I'd say yes, I have been told that a wider tire isn't best on ice. Snow maybe a different story. Also look into other tire brands, ask other ppl who like in your area. Don't buy a tire just because it may "look cool" If it's no good in the winter what's the point?  

i've read tons of reviews on a bunch of tires, and they all have snow reviews, however they are talking about soft snow, which im sure ill also be riding in.

the mg's rated very well in all categories and as a bonus they look good.

guess ill just take'r slower than normal on the highways if its got a snow pack

it's black ice that will bite you in the A$$ when you have wide tires.  i wouldn't worry so much about snow, just be prepared for a huge difference when its icy surfaces.

another thing to think about, manufacturers calculate the tread width based on the wides part of the tire (bulge in the sidewall, not the tread surface).  my jeep came with 30x9.5 tires that only had about a 7.5 inch contact patch.  moving up to 31x10.5 ... the contact patch was almost 10 inches.  that's a huge difference, and my winter handling suffered.