When to change tyres in Norway: summer and winter

When to switch to winter tyres

Do not wait for the first snowfall. Check the forecast and the conditions where you will be driving: air temperatures above freezing do not rule out a frozen road, especially in shaded areas. Statens vegvesen highlights this in its winter-season advice.

For example, a dry road outside your home tells you nothing about a mountain section ahead. If you do not yet have suitable tyres and the route is covered in snow or ice, postpone the journey. This is a practical consequence of the duty to ensure sufficient grip.

When studded tyres are permitted

Piggdekk means studded tyres. The ordinary periods in Statens vegvesen’s guidance are:

• Nordland, Troms and Finnmark: from 16 October through 30 April, inclusive.
• The rest of Norway: from 1 November through the first Sunday after Easter Monday, inclusive. Easter Monday is called 2. påskedag in Norwegian.

If road conditions require studded tyres to provide sufficient grip, they may also be used outside these periods. A car using studded tyres must have them on all wheels. Studless winter tyres — piggfrie vinterdekk — are permitted all year.

When to switch from winter to summer tyres

Plan the change when conditions on your routes allow you to use summer tyres. If winter conditions continue, the end of the ordinary studded-tyre period does not require you to drive on unsuitable tyres.

Outside the three northern counties, the spring end date depends on Easter: do not memorise one fixed April date for every year. In Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, the ordinary last day for studded tyres is 30 April.

Tread depth: 3 mm in winter and 1.6 mm in summer

Under forskrift om bruk av kjøretøy § 1-4, the following minimum depths apply to the car category described above:

• 3 mm: in the three northern counties, 16 October–30 April; elsewhere, 1 November–the first Sunday after Easter Monday.
• 1.6 mm: in the three northern counties, 1 May–15 October; elsewhere, from the first Monday after Easter Monday through 31 October.

All date boundaries are inclusive. Tread depth is measured in the main grooves across the central three quarters of the tread width, around the tyre’s circumference, except where the tread-wear indicators are located. The same seasonal minimum depths apply to a trailer towed by such a car.

Tread depth alone does not guarantee grip. A summer tyre with deep tread does not become a winter tyre.

What to check before changing wheels

• The forecast and road conditions along your entire route.
• The condition of the tyres: rubber ages even when there is still tread left.
• After changing wheels, check the tightness of the wheel bolts after about 40 km. This is a recommendation from Statens vegvesen.

Do not confuse swapping complete wheel assemblies with fitting new tyres onto rims. For fitting new tyres, Statens vegvesen says to use an approved workshop.

For theory study, distinguish three terms: veigrep — grip, mønsterdybde — tread depth, and piggdekk — studded tyres. Continue with Norwegian traffic rules and adapting speed to conditions.