Pothole season starting early in WMass

EASTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) - You may have noticed recently that your commute to work is little bumpier than usual. That’s because the pothole season is starting a little earlier this year.

Our recent weather is contributing to the development of potholes. Last week's cold temperatures followed by this week's unusual warmth are resulting in the troublesome holes in the road.

Potholes form when water gets into cracks in the pavement and then freezes. The ice expands and the pavement rises. As traffic drives over the raised pavement, it eventually breaks off; forming a pothole.

Although we're seeing some potholes across western Massachusetts already, not everybody is noticing a big problem with them yet.

“We drove Route 2, which is a little bit of a tough road, but not around our area. We haven't seen too many; not more than normal I would say,” Heidi Morgan of Rochester, New York said.

With the colder weather moving back in following the warm weather that we just had, we will probably start to see more potholes soon.