Winter weather and freezing temperatures forecasted for the Cascade mountains and most of eastern Washington are prompting Washington state Department of Transportation officials to extend the deadline to remove studded tires through April 17.

Forecasts continue to indicate that nighttime temperatures in the mountains and higher elevations will hover around freezing through the weekend and into early next week.

Drivers must remove their studded tires by 12:01 a.m., Sunday April 18.

WSDOT is encouraging drivers in areas with milder temperatures to remove their studded tires as soon as possible and not wait until the April 17 deadline.