The two-lane highways in Big and Little Cottonwood canyons are notorious for snowy and slick winter driving conditions… and crashes that back up traffic for hours. Snow tires and traction devices are strongly encouraged and often required per Utah’s traction laws during winter conditions for those headed to Alta, Snowbird, Brighton and Solitude.
Unified Police officers are charged with enforcing that law, occasionally checking vehicles have the right tires and are prepared for canyon conditions. The safety checks can also tie up traffic.
The Utah Department of Transportation has a free way to beat some of that backup: a decal showing vehicles were pre-checked and meet the required standards.
The requirements depend on a few variables including the type of car and severity of snowfall.
Roadway supervisor Jake Brown said the main reason UDOT created the stickers was to educate the public about what kinds of tires are appropriate.
“We just wanted to make sure that people understood what was required of them because the cottonwood canyons can be a very dangerous place. It could snow up to four to five inches an hour. We want people to be able to keep moving on the roadway and not slowing up traffic, so we wanted to make sure we really educated people about their tires and the type of vehicle and their traction devices that they needed to navigate the canyons.”
The sticker is not a requirement to drive in the canyons, just an option.
Anyone interested can visit tire shops on the Wasatch Front for a free inspection and sticker if vehicles qualify.
UDOT works with rental car companies to approve those vehicles as well.
Appropriate winter tires for the Cottonwoods depend on whether a car has a four-wheel, all-wheel or two-wheel drive system.
More information is available at cottonwoodcanyons.udot.utah.gov.
