Winter Tire Planner
Your on and off windows, computed from the 45F threshold in the 30-year climate record at your nearest station. Below it, how winter tires are treated in the United States and where the road rules actually bite.
Both dates, every year, with a one-week reminder.
First snow watch: Track incoming snow on the radar and check the work windows for your place on the Weather page.
Winter tires and the law in the US
No state or federal mandate
Unlike Canada or much of Europe, the United States has no winter-tire law: the dates above are a climate recommendation, not a legal requirement, and no state requires four winter tires outright.
Where the rules do bite is the mountains. Several western states enforce seasonal traction and chain laws on specific highways and passes during winter storms, with winter-rated tires (the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol) usually satisfying the lower levels and chains required in the worst conditions. These are road- and condition-specific, posted in real time, not a blanket rule for your city. Before mountain travel in winter, check your state department of transportation for the current chain or traction control on your route.
Reference windows for major cities
Computed from each city’s own station normals. Your town’s dates may differ; use the planner above for your exact place.
| City | Tires on by | Off after |
|---|
Method: monthly mean daily temperature normals anchored mid-month, linear interpolation across 45F. Full notes on the methodology page.
Questions, answered plainly
When should winter tires go on?
When the mean daily temperature settles below 45F, the rubber in all-season tires hardens and grip falls off sharply. That crossing arrives at a different date everywhere: late November in Denver, mid October in Minneapolis, already past in interior Alaska. Set your place above and the Almanac computes your window from the 30-year NOAA climate record at your nearest station.
Are winter tires required by law in the US?
No. There is no federal winter-tire law, and no state requires them outright the way some countries do. A handful of mountain states run seasonal traction or chain laws on specific highways during winter storms, for example chain-control zones in the Sierra and the Rockies. Those are road- and condition-specific, so check your state department of transportation before mountain travel.
Why 45 degrees Fahrenheit?
Tire makers use about 45F (7C) as the threshold where winter compounds outperform all-seasons. It is about rubber chemistry, not snow: even on dry pavement below that line, winter tires stop meaningfully shorter.
When do winter tires come off?
After the mean daily temperature climbs back above 45F to stay, typically March in the lower 48 and into May in the far north. Taking them off too early risks a cold snap; too late wears the soft compound on warm pavement. Your station's off date is computed above.
Winter tire dates by city
Every page computed from that city's own nearest-station record. All cities.