Yle meteorologist urges drivers to fit winter tyres now

Drivers should switch to winter tyres as colder weather brings a risk of slippery roads in the coming days, Yle meteorologist Aleksi Lohtander said in an interview with Yle’s morning television programme.

Lohtander advised caution at night, especially after rain when temperatures have fallen below freezing. Ice is likely to have formed on the ground in those conditions.

The risk can be harder to judge when temperatures near the ground hover around zero. A car’s thermometer, positioned higher up, may show a different reading, Lohtander said.

Black ice is relatively rare, he said, but can be difficult to spot. It may look wet, slightly glittery and reflective, making it hard to tell whether the road is merely damp or covered in a smooth layer of ice.

Freezing rain is usually easier to recognise because water freezes as soon as it hits a surface. For pedestrians, hidden ice is the main hazard, particularly when it lies beneath water or snow.

Lohtander recommended changing to winter tyres now.