Tire deadline

The extension is over in Washington. Drivers must take off their studded tires today or face a $101 fine, according to state law.

Washington State Department of Transportation officials extended the March 31 deadline to remove studded tires to April 11 after wet weather brought much-needed snow to the mountains. But that respite ends today.

Idaho drivers can keep their studded tires rolling until April 30 and Montana allows them though May 31.

Studded tires are restricted because they wear road surfaces at a higher rate than other tires, causing an estimated $10 million in damage each year to state highways. Most of the damage is loss of pavement in the wheel paths, or “rutting,” but studded tires also wear out paint stripes and raised pavement markers, according to the WSDOT Web site.