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To cut straight to the chase, for those just looking for a quick answer, 3PMSF stands for three-peak mountain snowflake.
If a tyre carries that symbol, then it means it has passed a standardised winter performance test. It is classified in UK and European regulation as a tyre for use in severe snow conditions.
Three things follow from that, and they are the three things most people get wrong:
The marking is a small pictogram of a three-peaked mountain with a snowflake inside it. You can find it on a tyre, moulded into the sidewall.
This is written into UK law under Part D of Annex I to the tyre labelling regulation. It shows that the tyre has been tested for snow grip performance in accordance with Annex 7 to UNECE Regulation 117.
Ultimately, a tyre meeting the minimum snow grip index values is classified as a tyre for use in severe snow conditions.
In essence, the symbol is not a manufacturer's badge. A manufacturer cannot simply state that their tyres meet requirements. It is a regulatory classification with a defined test behind it.
You may see both markings. But they are not equivalents.
| M+S | 3PMSF | |
|---|---|---|
| What it means | Mud and snow | Three-peak mountain snowflake |
| Basis | Tread pattern geometry | Measured snow performance |
| Test required | None | Yes, against a reference tyre |
| Who decides | The manufacturer | The test result |
| Appears on | Many tyres | Winter and some all-season tyres |
The key – and perhaps main - point of difference is that a M+S classification is self-declared by a manufacturer.
They apply it to their own tyres on the basis of the tread pattern. No performance test is required.
The 3PMSF, on the other hand, is an earned accolade. The tyre is tested and must clear a numeric threshold.
The tyre is tested on snow against a standard reference test tyre (SRTT). The performance of that tyre in the test is then expressed as a snow grip index. This is a ratio, where 1.00 would mean identical to the reference tyre.
Regulation 117 sets out three approved methods:
It is important to note that not all of these are applied to every class of tyre.
For passenger car tyres (C1), two apply, and each carries its own threshold. See below:
| Test method | Reference tyre | Minimum snow grip index, C1 |
|---|---|---|
| Braking on snow | SRTT14 | 1.07 — 7% better than the reference |
| Spin traction | SRTT14 | 1.10 — 10% better than the reference |
| Acceleration | — | Not applicable to C1 |
The acceleration method is used for heavy commercial tyres (C3) where the threshold is 1.25.
Van tyres (C2) are tested by spin traction at 1.10 or against a commercial reference tyre at 1.02.
The test itself is run on a prepared snow surface. With a hard-packed base that is 3cm thick with about 2cm of medium-packed snow on top. They also closely control the air temperature. Which needs to be between −2°C and −15°C.
The Annex 7 test is conducted on snow, and snow is the only thing it puts a number on.
It does not measure performance on ice, and it does not measure dry braking or handling.
Wet grip is a more interesting case. A severe snow tyre is not exempt from wet grip testing. Every C1 tyre needs a wet grip approval under the same regulation.
But a tyre classified for severe snow conditions is held to a lower minimum than a normal tyre:
| Category of use (class C1) | Minimum wet grip index |
|---|---|
| Normal tyre | 1.10 |
| Snow tyre | 1.10 |
| Severe snow conditions, speed symbol R/H and above | 1.00 |
| Severe snow conditions, speed symbol Q or below | 0.90 |
The same regulation provides for an ice grip pictogram on the tyre label. This is a mountain with an icicle rather than a snowflake.
To earn it, a tyre must record an ice grip index of 1.18 under ISO 19447. 18% better ice braking than the standard reference test tyre.
In practice you will see it mostly on Nordic winter tyres. Where ice rather than snow is the most common winter condition.
If you were to search the UNECE Regulation 117 and you will find four categories of use:
“All-season”, “all-weather” and “four-season” aren't classified. They are ultimately descriptions.
What that means is that two tyres can both be sold as all-season – with one classified for severe snow conditions and the other not.
This is why the 3PMSF marking is the thing to check - rather than relying on the category name.
Michelin's UK CrossClimate range is a straightforward worked example. Every model in the range carries the 3PMSF.
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Regulatory thresholds are abstract. Test figures put a number on them.
In Auto Express's 2026 winter tyre test - carried out in partnership with Blackcircles.com - the best 3PMSF tyre on the test stopped from 25mph on snow in 18.7 metres.
The uncertified summer tyre ran a further 24 metres. Its snow traction measured less than a third, and its snow braking less than half, of the weakest 3PMSF tyre.
From twenty-five miles an hour - the gap was longer than the stopping distance itself.
For most UK motorists in the market for all season tyres, the big question is which all-season tyre is genuinely capable when the weather turns.
To answer that, the best place to start is with the marking. If it does not carry 3PMSF, it has not been tested on snow.
Michelin's CrossClimate range is the most straightforward answer to all three of those tests.
Every model in the range carries 3PMSF:
All of these models are listed with the 3PMSF symbol.
Michelin attributes the range's cold-weather behaviour to a Thermal Adaptive Tread Compound, which the manufacturer says adjusts to changing road temperatures rather than being optimised for one end of the range.
Michelin is not the only credible option, and a shortlist is more useful than a single recommendation.
| Tyre | Best suited to | 3PMSF |
|---|---|---|
| Michelin CrossClimate 3 | Cars and SUVs, widest size coverage | Yes |
| Michelin CrossClimate 3 Sport | Performance and higher-speed fitments | Yes |
| Continental AllSeasonContact 2 | Broad range, strong value at entry sizes | Yes |
| Goodyear Vector All Season 4 | Cars, SUVs and EVs | Yes |
| Bridgestone Turanza All Season 6 | EV-ready fitments | Yes |
| Pirelli Scorpion All Season SF3 | SUV-specific | Yes |
Snow and ice are not the same problem. No all-season tyre currently sold in the UK carries the ice grip symbol. As set out above, that marking requires an ice grip index of 1.18 under ISO 19447, and in practice it appears on Nordic winter tyres.
An all-season tyre with 3PMSF has demonstrated snow capability. It has demonstrated nothing about ice, because it has not been tested for it.
That is not a reason to avoid all-seasons. Black ice is a hazard that beats most tyres. But if ice rather than snow is the defining feature of your winter a dedicated winter tyre is the specialist tool.
Not in the UK. There is no requirement anywhere in the UK to fit winter or 3PMSF tyres at any time of year.
The Highway Code's rules on icy and snowy weather, rules 228 to 231, cover several points, but not a mandatory tyre type for driving in winter conditions. The rules cover:
The only legal tyre requirement is tread depth, and it applies all year: 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tread, all the way round, under Regulation 27 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.
The actual name is Three-peak mountain snowflake. You may sometimes hear or read it referenced as the alpine symbol. It shows that a tyre has been approved for use in severe snow conditions.
M+S is self-declared by the manufacturer on the basis of the tread pattern. There is no test required. 3PMSF requires the tyre to pass a standardised snow test against a reference tyre.
Not necessarily. The 3PMSF test is conducted on snow and measures nothing about ice. A separate ice grip symbol exists. However is only found on Nordic winter tyres.
Yes and many do. An all-season tyre carrying 3PMSF has passed the same test as a winter tyre.
No. There is no UK requirement to fit winter or 3PMSF tyres at any time of year. The only legal tyre requirement is a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tread.
Yes. Michelin lists every model in the UK CrossClimate range as carrying the 3PMSF accreditation.
Yes. The tyre label has a dedicated snow grip section, and a separate ice grip section, so a label may show neither marking, one, or both.
The regulatory detail comes from the assimilated UK tyre labelling regulation on legislation.gov.uk, from the full published text of UNECE Regulation 117, and from the European Commission. Threshold figures, test methods and test conditions are taken from the Regulation itself rather than from secondary summaries. The legal position comes from the Highway Code and legislation.gov.uk.
Performance figures are from Auto Express's 2026 winter tyre test, published 2 September 2026 and carried out in partnership with Blackcircles.com. Manufacturer statements are labelled as such throughout.
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