WSDOT Says Studded Tire Removal Deadline to Remain March 31

The Washington State Department of Transportation has announced the deadline to remove studded snow tires will remain March 31st. 

Barbara LaBoe says they consider a lot of factors.

"The long-term forecasts and certainly the recent warming allowed us to determine we don't need to extend the studded tire deadline. For most areas of the state people are driving on bare pavement and that not only damages our roadways, it also damages the studs in the tires."

Starting at midnight on April 1, drivers with studded tires face a $136 fine. LaBoe says if a snow or ice event does happen, they can change the deadline.

LaBoe says they try to get the information out as soon as possible like last year when they extended the deadline twice because of the pandemic.

"Tire removal centers, if that's what you're using certainly do get crowded this time of year, so you want to plan accordingly and try to get in there sooner rather than later."

She says they also look at long-range weather forecasts for the state when determining any extension as she believes any localized snow or ice can be cleared quickly.​