Let us offer a round of applause and a standing ovation to Mother Nature for helping to generate another season of roadway potholes. Of course, a standing ovation and applause is far too kind of a gesture to give in return for her newest production. However, North Conway has received a complete 180-degree turn from the conditions of the previous winter. How so? The average temperature is upwards of 10 degrees colder, the snow pack is measured in feet, and the snowfall accumulation is 40 inches greater then this time last year. As with many great productions from Mother Nature, there is usually a downside to many of them, such as the late winter enhancement of the pothole.
There seems to be no escape from the growing increase of potholes not only for North Conway, but also much of New England. It does not matter where or when you will drive, nor does it matter what direction you may go. The pothole is an inconvenient nuisance on whatever road you may take. With each winter storm that the region receives, whether in the form of snow, sleet, or freezing rain, potholes continue to form and grow upon the roads. Since this winter season has produced many significant snowstorms, like the Christmas Day nor'easter and the Blizzard of 2003, the growth of potholes are at record levels in many areas.
You may wonder, what does Mother Nature have to do with the conditions of a road? As snow, sleet, or freezing rain accumulates throughout the duration of a storm, effective road crews work hard to clear these pathways for our very own safety. Potholes form thereafter as the snow and ice melts upon the road. In a more detailed context, potholes develop when ice expands and pushes the soil away from the asphalt surface. A cavity is then formed when the ice melts. As cars and trucks drive over these cavities, the weight causes the asphalt to collapse, which in turn creates numerous potholes.
Likewise with this current winter season, the pothole problem is worsened during periods of very slow melting. Conditions can become even worse when days consist of above and below freezing temperatures. This situation causes the snow to melt during the daytime hours and refreeze during the night. Areas that witnessed substantial snowfall from the Blizzard of 2003, such as Boston, Massachusetts, have received many classic days that consist of melting and refreezing on the roadways. Due to this, the pothole problem is far greater then what we are experiencing in North Conway.
Believe it or not, the pothole has a cousin, which is referred to by many as the frost heave. This other inconvenience forms when freezing water expands under the asphalt. Likewise with the pothole, frost heaves are at a record high population in New England this winter season. You may wonder, when are both of these roadway difficulties expected to decrease? Unfortunately, not anytime soon for North Conway has yet to embark upon the melting season.