It is more remembrance than perception. I had a sports car, a motorcycle and a sedan during my living in Waipahu right behind the drive in. so it has been awhile. I still have some lava dust stains on a set of wheels I still have. Living next to the cane fields, I was exposed to a share of dust.
Here is a link to tire racks description of the rating. they test it on a wet skidpad so it should be close to what I remember driving through.
Tire Tech Information - Uniform Tire Quality Grade (UTQG) Standards
getting tires from a mail order place may lose it advantages for you with shipping. But you would have wider selection