From what you describe the Michellin Xice (especially the latest design) seem to be one of the best available. I live in CO where there's less ice and deeper snow. For those reasons I'm considering other tires (otherwise, I would go with the xice). The Nokian Hakkapellitta 7 might also be a great choice since they're studded, but I have't done the research to compare to the xice (EDIT: The 7's look to be excellent, but come at a premium cost). For other snow tires, I'll include what I've found in case someone comes across this who is looking for different tires:
Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1 - Better for soft deep snow (typically what we encounter in Colorado). You'll read that they wear fast and only have the snow traction at the top 50% of the tread. I don't think this is a concern because for deep snow you'll only want to use a snow tire that has that much tread anyways. Because it's a stiffer tire except for the last bit of rubber, my opinion is that this dual compound result in less of a compromise for handling vs. snow traction (reviews say this handles very well compared to other snow tires).
Gislaved Nord Frost 5 - A better severe-weather winter tire than the DM-V1, but noticeably softer to drive. Since my winter commute is a lot of highway and the Rav4 is an SUV I'd like something with a stiffer sidewall (handling matters more with rollover risk). I would get these for a car, less highway driving, or a need to handle more serious or colder conditions (ie, you lived in the montains)...in those situations I think this would easily be a better tire than the DM-V1.
Nokian Hakkapellitta R - This seems like an exceptional tire for a lot of reasons, and is probably better than the DM-V1 (competition drivers say there's no comparison, though I'm not sure if they've used the DM-V1). However, the DM-V1 still has great reviews and costs less. These Hakka's were specially designed for low rolling resistance, and based on claims, should save you around 20 gallons of gas over the life of the tire...something that makes the cost easier to handle, especially considering the rave reviews. They also seem to be more environmentally conscious than other brands, and I'm likely going with these if I can find them for a decent price.
UPDATE: AT $30 more per tire for the Nokian Hakkapellitta R's (compared to the DMV1's) it's a tough pill to swallow, but that's a small premium to pay for what appears to be the best option for my environment, and all the things I am looking for. For the best price, check out Tire Factory (or a Nokian retail outlet, not just a dealer who has to order them). It looks like we may make these (or other Nokians) locally and this is the retail store. They were $25 less expensive than most other locations. Again, I made my decision based on softer deeper snow and less ice, which is different than the OP's environment