Time to changeover studded tires extended to May 15

The State of Alaska extended the annual deadline for residents to swap out their studded winter tires by 15 days due to what they called “prolonged winter weather.”

Many places in the Mat-Su Borough received over 88 inches of snowfall this past winter, while Anchorage was blanketed in almost 133 inches of snow. As a result, the Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner James Cockrell, extended the deadline for all Alaskans living above the 60th parallel from May 1 to May 15 in an emergency order issued April 15, 2024.

The emergency studded tire order affects the majority of Alaskans, since places like Anchorage, Palmer, Wasilla, Fairbanks, Kenai, Soldotna, and Seward all sit north of the 60th parallel.

The borderline that marks 60 degrees longitude goes along south of Bethel to the southern portion of Kenai Peninsula, and north of the Southeast Panhandle. Homer, Kodiak, Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan. All drivers must adhere to the legal date of April 15 to remove the studded tires.