Studded tires are now allowed on roads north of Seward and Cordova. But drivers should be aware that the Municipality of Anchorage adopted a new ordinance in 2019 that prohibits studded tire within Anchorage City Limits until Oct. 1.
State law allows drivers north of Latitude 60 to put their studded tires on their vehicles on Sept. 16.
Anchorage police have the authority to ticket motorists with studded tires if they are within the city limits, even if they are on state roads. Numerous roads in Anchorage are actually state roads, including Minnesota Blvd., Dimond Blvd, and New Seward Highway being the most well-known, but there are dozens of other state roads throughout the municipality. The traffic laws inside Anchorage apply to these roads, which means is someone is traveling from Fairbanks through Anchorage before Oct. 1 with studded tires, they can be pulled over. The median day for the first snow in Fairbanks is Oct. 9, but snowfall can vary with elevation and other environmental factors.
