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No corridor below is carrying a traction posting in the live UDOT feed at this moment. That can change up to 24 hours before a storm arrives, by law, so on a storm week this page is worth checking the night before and again at the canyon mouth.
The official text lives with UDOT, which owns the number one source for this rule, and we link it below. What this page adds is the live answer, per corridor, plus the rule in plain English. Data: UDOT Traffic.
Parleys Canyon is open. Road surface: Dry. Weather: Fair. No traction restriction is posted for this corridor right now.
Data: UDOT Traffic | UDOT report Nov 4, 9:23 AM MT
Little Cottonwood Canyon is open. Road surface: Dry. Weather: Fair. No traction restriction is posted for this corridor right now.
Data: UDOT Traffic | UDOT report Nov 4, 9:23 AM MT
Big Cottonwood Canyon is open. Road surface: Dry. Weather: Fair. No traction restriction is posted for this corridor right now.
Data: UDOT Traffic | UDOT report Nov 4, 9:23 AM MT
Park City is open. Road surface: Dry. Weather: Fair. No traction restriction is posted for this corridor right now.
Data: UDOT Traffic | UDOT report Nov 4, 9:23 AM MT
Utah's traction requirements come from Administrative Rule R920-6, Traction Device and Tire Chain Requirements, written under Utah Code Sections 72-1-201, 72-3-102, 41-6a-302, and 41-6a-1636. The rule lets a UDOT Region Director designate traction segments on state highways that cannot be safely traveled in adverse weather unless vehicles are properly equipped, and it lets UDOT, the Utah Highway Patrol, or designated local law enforcement put requirements into effect when road surface conditions warrant. Designated segments are restricted during the season from October 1 to April 30, or whenever conditions warrant outside it.
When a requirement is in effect, no vehicle may use the segment unless it meets the posted class. Travelers are notified by road signs and UDOT's traveler information systems, which is the feed this page reads. R920-6-4(3) sets the three classes:
| Class | Who it covers | What satisfies it | Where it posts here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Vehicles with a GVWR of 12,000 pounds or more | Traction devices on all rear drive tires (one tire of each dual pair is enough), or AWD or 4WD with M+S or 3PMSF tires | Parleys Canyon (I-80) |
| Class 2 | Every vehicle | Traction devices on at least two drive tires (heavy two wheel drive vehicles: all rear drive tires), or AWD or 4WD with M+S or 3PMSF tires, or, under 12,000 pounds, two wheel drive with 3PMSF tires | Parleys Canyon (I-80) |
| Class 3 | Every vehicle, strictest standard | Traction devices on at least two drive tires, or AWD or 4WD with M+S or 3PMSF tires with at least 5/32 inch of tread remaining on every tire | Little Cottonwood (SR-210), Big Cottonwood (SR-190) |
Summarized from Rule R920-6-4(3) as published by UDOT. The rule text controls; read it at UDOT Cottonwood Canyons or the Utah Office of Administrative Rules.
The 2025 legislature strengthened the program through House Bill 196, and UDOT implemented the changes for the 2025 and 2026 winter. Three changes matter to drivers. First, traction requirements can now be enforced up to 24 hours before a storm begins, so a posting on a dry evening is legal, deliberate, and meant to keep the canyon from filling with unequipped cars before the snow does. Second, the Class 3 designation was formalized for the Cottonwood Canyons with its 5/32 inch minimum tread depth, which turns worn snow tires into non compliant tires even if the symbol on the sidewall is right. Third, officers may now issue citations for violations. The mouth stop is no longer only a turnaround.
In the Cottonwoods, enforcement is handled by the Cottonwood Heights and Sandy City police departments, with the Salt Lake County Sheriff supporting roadside and parking enforcement; on Parleys, the Highway Patrol works the interstate postings. UDOT's free Cottonwood Canyons Sticker Program pre inspects winter tires at more than 140 tire shops along the Wasatch Front and Back each season, running from mid November to the end of February. If you drive a canyon weekly, get the sticker in the fall. It is the cheapest insurance in Utah skiing.
UDOT does not publish a dedicated traction data field. The posting travels inside the road conditions feed as the restriction text on each segment, and in event text when a segment is called. This site reads both, on every corridor, every few minutes, and prints the result as the traction chip on each verdict. When UDOT's restriction text names a class, we name it. When it says nothing, we say no restriction is posted in the feed, which is the truth and also the limit of what any site can honestly claim. The official sources are UDOT Cottonwood Canyons traction law and UDOT Traffic. Signs at the roadside outrank everything on the internet, including this page.
Driving a resort run instead? The ski pages for Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, Solitude, and Park City each cover the traction picture for that drive.
Is the traction law in effect today?
The corridor verdicts at the top of this page read the live UDOT feed. A chip reading TRACTION LAW IN EFFECT, with its class, is UDOT's posting as the feed carries it. No chip means no traction restriction is posted in the feed for that corridor right now, which is a statement about the feed, so check UDOT Traffic for the official word before a storm drive.
What tires count as legal under Class 3?
On a four wheel or all wheel drive vehicle: M+S or 3PMSF tires with at least 5/32 inch of tread on every tire. Or skip the tire question entirely with traction devices, chains, cables, or snow socks, on at least two drive tires.
Can I be cited for ignoring the traction law?
Yes. Since House Bill 196 in 2025, law enforcement can cite non compliant drivers on designated segments, and requirements can be posted up to 24 hours before a storm begins.
Does the traction law apply to Parleys Canyon?
Yes. Parleys (I-80) is a designated traction segment posted at Class 1 and Class 2. The Cottonwood Canyons, SR-210 and SR-190, are the Class 3 segments. SR-224 into Park City is not a designated canyon segment.
What is the Cottonwood Canyons Sticker Program?
A free UDOT program that pre inspects your vehicle's winter tires at more than 140 participating tire shops along the Wasatch Front and Back each fall and winter. A stickered vehicle passes the mouth checks without the roadside conversation.