Doug,
I'm way late to this party, but I'm gonna plug Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires. Those would be ideal for your daughter. They are very soft, heavily serrated tread tires that grip in snow and slush like nobody's business. You'll have to be sure and get them off after the weather breaks because they wear fast on dry pavement, but they are superb in slush/snow/ice.

Maybe next year??

 

Doug, if she is going to be driving on ice and packed snow, nothing will work as well as studded tires. I run studs on my Hummer H2 for winter snow and ice driving and have logged thousands of miles in some really bad conditions. The studs just give you the little extra bite you sometimes need to stop a slide or get started on ice. Yes, they are a pain, but they are worth it. Are you in the Portland area?

 

Just a quick add with regard to siped tires. The siping helps a lot in the rain or slush where there is liquid to be directed away from the treads through the sipes. It doesn't do anything for you in packed snow or ice. One man's opinion.