After winter turns to spring, you'll find potholes popping up almost anywhere in the U.S. But why is that? AccuWeather's Ali Reid takes a look.
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00:00They can appear out of nowhere and cause serious damage.
00:07Winters in New Jersey can be abrasive to our infrastructure, so it becomes a priority coming out of it.
00:15And it's not just in New Jersey. States across the country see a surge in potholes every spring thanks to weather whiplash.
00:23We had a lot of nights in New Jersey where it sat somewhere between 31 and 33 degrees.
00:29And is it going to snow? Is it going to rain? Are we going to get a little bit of both?
00:33That's stressful for the staff, and it's also really stressful for the roadway.
00:38That stress is what breaks down road surfaces fast.
00:42Whether it's rain or snow, hitting that pavement, if there's any sort of cracks, any sort of imperfection there,
00:48if it gets in, starts to freeze a little bit, starts to thaw again, it'll literally start moving the asphalt.
00:54And that's how those holes start to form.
00:56Crews across the U.S. are racing to repair the damage winter left behind.
01:01We go into what we call a pothole blitz every March, and that runs for about six weeks,
01:06where we will try to handle anything coming out of the winter season that has any bit of damage or imperfection to it.
01:12We hit a decision point of, are our temporary measures good enough, or are we going to do some sort of long-term repair?
01:18Potholes can wreak havoc on your tires, suspension, and even your alignment.
01:24The average driver spends about $300 on pothole-related repairs every year.
01:29So remember to slow down when roads are wet, leave space to spot hazards,
01:34and get your tires and suspension inspected after a strong jolt on rough roads.
01:39For AccuWeather, I'm Allie Reed.