Officials extend studded tire removal date

The Washington State Department of Transportation today extended the deadline to remove studded tires to April 25. The deadline was extended because forecasts call for possible winter driving conditions across mountain passes and in higher elevations. “Winter is not quite over in the mountains,” said Chris Christopher, WSDOT director of maintenance operations. “We have had close to four feet of snow in the mountains since April 1, and forecasts call for one to two feet more through the end of next week.” Spring weather has arrived in the lowlands, so those who do not plan on traveling over mountain passes should remove studded tires now, Christopher said. Studded tires are allowed from Nov. 1 to March 31, unless officials grant an extension. Today’s announcement marks the third extension this year, according to WSDOT. Officials do not anticipate any further extensions this year. Those who do not remove studded tires by the deadline are subject to traffic infractions from law enforcement. WSDOT officials said vehicles with studded tires damage roads and require a longer stopping distance than vehicles with normal tires when snow is not present.