Utah 511 Road Conditions & Traction Law

UDOT Traffic is the traveler information map run by the Utah Department of Transportation, at udottraffic.utah.gov. It is the state's answer to what the road is doing at this minute, and UDOT publishes on it:

• Over 1,200 traffic cameras and around 200 message boards
• Crashes, construction and delays, from an operations center staffed around the clock
• Snowplows, each with the path it has recently cleared and when it was there
• Closures and construction impacts
• A green, yellow or red weather caution level for travel
• In-road and roadside sensors

No full closures are reported in Utah as of Sep 14, 2026 9:21 PM MDT, and no lane closures or roadworks either. Always check with the responsible state DOT before setting off.

Interstates Through Utah, Road by Road

Each stretch has its own live conditions, closures and cameras for the Utah miles only — the weather 500 miles away on the same interstate says nothing about this drive.

• I-15 Utah Road Conditions 401 mi
• I-70 Utah Road Conditions 232 mi
• I-80 Utah Road Conditions 197 mi
• I-84 Utah Road Conditions 120 mi

NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, from 4 weather stations in Utah. A dash is a figure that station does not report, not a zero.

Snowfall across Utah is not one number: Saint George averages 1.4" a year and Provo averages 57.1".

Every figure above is a town or a city. The summits are a different climate: Soldier Summit has its own page with the readings at the top and a six-day summit forecast.

Driving in Utah Month by Month

What the road normally throws at you, month by month, from NOAA's 1991–2020 normals for Utah's own stations. Each month names its dominant hazard and the place that measured it — this is what the month is usually like, not a forecast and not a restriction.

• January Snow 13.9 in of snow at Provo, 8.6 days that never thaw at Salt Lake City
• February Snow 10.9 in of snow at Provo, 3.3 days that never thaw at Salt Lake City
• March Snow 6.5 in of snow at Salt Lake City, 0.2 days that never thaw at Salt Lake City
• April Snow 4 in of snow at Salt Lake City
• May Heat 9.5 days above 90°F at Saint George
• June Heat 24.2 days above 90°F at Saint George
• July Heat 30.1 days above 90°F at Saint George
• August Heat 29.9 days above 90°F at Saint George
• September Heat 19.2 days above 90°F at Saint George
• October Snow 1.4 in of snow at Salt Lake City
• November Snow 7.6 in of snow at Salt Lake City, 1.2 days that never thaw at Salt Lake City
• December Snow 13.7 in of snow at Provo, 8 days that never thaw at Salt Lake City

Utah Traction Law & Snow Tire Requirements

Utah's traction law can be in force before a single flake falls — UDOT may require compliance up to 24 hours ahead of a storm. What you need depends on what you drive rather than on which road you are on, and in the Cottonwood Canyons it depends on how worn your tires are.

What the traction law requires

On an all-wheel or four-wheel drive vehicle the minimum is mud and snow (M+S or M/S) tires on all four wheels. On a two-wheel drive it is three-peak mountain-snowflake tires on all four — a stricter tire for the vehicle that needs it more. Either way, traction devices count instead: UDOT's term covers tire chains, tire studs and snow socks, on at least the drive wheels.

Class 1

Trucks, buses and larger RVs only — anything over 12,000 lbs gross weight. A car is not affected.

Class 2

All vehicles, cars included. Your drivetrain decides which minimum applies to you.

Class 3

Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, and the only level that measures your tires: at least 5/32-inch of tread on M+S or snow tires, or traction devices instead. The beacons at the canyon mouths flashing is what tells you it is on.

Enforcement

Non-compliance is a citation from local police — in the Cottonwood Canyons the Cottonwood Heights and Sandy City departments, with the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office; UDOT does not publish a fixed amount.

How you will know it is active

• Road signs and message boards on the segment itself
• The flashing beacons at the mouths of Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons
• The UDOT Traffic app and UDOT's own social accounts

Which class is posted is UDOT's to decide and it can change a day before the weather does. This page does not carry it — UDOT Traffic ↗ is the authority before you set off.

Source: UDOT, checked August 26, 2026.

Related Roads

Utah Road Weather FAQ

Are any roads closed in Utah right now?

No full closures are reported on the interstates in Utah. No lane closures or roadworks are reported either.

What are Utah road conditions today?

The map on this page colors the interstates across Utah by what is on the pavement right now — dry, wet, slush, snow or ice — from radar and surface data, last updated Sep 14, 2026 9:21 PM MDT. Right now temperatures run from 55°F to 91°F and the strongest wind is 17 mph.

What is the Utah traction law?

On an all-wheel or four-wheel drive vehicle the minimum is mud and snow (M+S or M/S) tires on all four wheels. On a two-wheel drive it is three-peak mountain-snowflake tires on all four — a stricter tire for the vehicle that needs it more. Either way, traction devices count instead: UDOT's term covers tire chains, tire studs and snow socks, on at least the drive wheels.

What happens if you ignore the Utah traction law?

Non-compliance is a citation from local police — in the Cottonwood Canyons the Cottonwood Heights and Sandy City departments, with the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office; UDOT does not publish a fixed amount.

Do I need snow tires to drive Little Cottonwood Canyon?

Not always. It depends which of 3 requirements is posted: "Class 1" — trucks, buses and larger RVs only — anything over 12,000 lbs gross weight. A car is not affected. "Class 2" — all vehicles, cars included. Your drivetrain decides which minimum applies to you. "Class 3" — big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, and the only level that measures your tires: at least 5/32-inch of tread on M+S or snow tires, or traction devices instead. The beacons at the canyon mouths flashing is what tells you it is on.

Which interstates run through Utah?

Utah has 4 through interstates on this site: I-15, I-70, I-80 and I-84 West — about 945 miles of interstate across the state. Each has its own page for the Utah stretch.

Are there mountain passes in Utah?

Yes — one on this site, Soldier Summit at 7,477 ft. Each has its own summit page.

How often are Utah road conditions updated?

The road surface and weather layers are rebuilt whenever this page is opened with data more than ten minutes old, and refreshed on a schedule in between, so nothing here is more than about two hours old even on a road nobody has looked at. Closures and road blocks are re-imported from the state 511 feeds every fifteen minutes, and the written state-by-state summaries are refreshed daily. Every section on this page carries the time its data was fetched.