THUNDER BAY — If it seems that you've been dodging fewer potholes this year than usual, a City of Thunder Bay official thinks he knows why.
Brad Adams, who's in charge of the upkeep of city streets, says he believes there are fewer potholes because of the weather.
"The more freeze/thaw cycles we have, traditionally that leads to more potholes. But this year so far, just from an observational point of view, it looks like we have a better pothole season...less numbers so far compared with previous years," Adams said.
Snowfall this winter was well below normal.
Adams said the lack of snow enables water to drain off streets into the gutter.
Relatively mild weather has also contributed.
"We're just starting to see now the cycle between below-freezing at night and above-freezing during the day, that type of cycle. That traditionally leads to pothole creation. And it's been a pretty mild so far that way. We haven't really had that many extreme weather changes," Adams explained.
He said that with less severe weather, the city's road-patching machine – the Python 5000 – has been able to operate through most of the winter.
"We've had the Python out pretty much every day this year, except for when it snows. So it's constantly out. It's out doing the main streets, the arterial collector roadways, on a regular basis."
Anyone spotting a pothole can report it to the city through an online form.
