Weather Tidbits: Potholes

This edition of Weather Tidbits will be discussing potholes. Potholes are holes on the surface of the road often related to weather conditions and vehicle loading stress. During pothole formation, water sweeps through the cracks which collects underneath the road, softening the road base. Once the water freezes, it expands and forces the pavement upward. Traffic from passing vehicles adds extra stress to the weakened pavement. Once drier weather arrives, the water dissipates, leaving a hole under the pavement. The weight of passing vehicles causes the road surface to collapse into the hole. The pothole is formed where the road is collapsed, and continuous traffic expands the hole with time.