Frosty mornings spur winter tyre changes, but garages stay quiet
Monday 19th October 2026 on 15:01 in
Finland
Frosty mornings have prompted drivers to book winter tyre changes, but tyre shops in southern Finland do not expect their busiest period until later this month, Yle reports. In northern Finland, the rush has already begun.
Autoklinikka’s Helsinki workshop has opened its booking calendar, with appointments scheduled every 10 minutes. After-sales manager Kari Kanerva said the busiest season would start next week and continue through November, with some customers still changing tyres in December.
A garage chain operating in Tampere, Jyväskylä and Hollola said bookings were spread over a longer period, making sudden queues less likely. In Jalasjärvi, entrepreneur Timo Laulaja said freezing nights had filled the booking calendar, but some appointments were cancelled as the weather warmed.
Temperatures fell below zero in almost the whole country overnight, bringing patches of frost-related slipperiness in the morning. A few more frosty nights are forecast before milder weather returns. Yle meteorologist Matti Huutonen said winter was not expected to begin during the current week, though frost could make roads slippery, particularly in the early morning.
Under a law that took effect in 2020, winter tyres must be used from the beginning of November when weather and road conditions require them. The rules leave room for interpretation, and drivers remain uncertain about how they are applied. Kanerva said some people follow the calendar closely while others watch the weather. The change extended the period for fitting winter tyres; previously, they had to be on the car in December.
In cities, tyre shops also benefit from demand for tyre storage, as many housing companies no longer allow tyres to be kept in shared spaces. Kanerva said more electric cars were bringing customers to workshops, where staff need to know where to lift the vehicles to avoid damaging batteries beneath them. In smaller towns and rural areas, many drivers still change their own tyres.
Tyre businesses said drivers need not delay using studded winter tyres at the start of the season. They also noted that many people continue driving on the same tyres for a long time in spring without considering wear to the studs or roads.