With temperatures reaching upwards of 60 degrees and thunderstorms in tow, the spat of warm weather the area has experienced in recent weeks has made February feel more like spring than winter.

The recent thaw has brought with it another element of the season, one most people are not as fond of: potholes.

Over the last several weeks, Dowagiac motorists have noticed a resurgence of the pesky crevices on local roadways, making rides a bit more bumpy than usual.

The trend has not gone unnoticed by officials with city hall, who have been hard at work recently dispatching crews to patch up the cracks, noted City Manager Kevin Anderson in a recent memo.

“There have been a number of freeze/thaw cycles in the area the last several weeks,” Anderson said. “The more there are, the more potholes you get.”

Potholes typically emerge
during the warmer weather experienced in spring, when gaps between the soil and pavement — caused by the freezing of water that seeped into the ground during winter — are created when temperatures begin to rise. Vehicles that pass over these gaps may cause the pavement to fall through, creating the holes that are the bane of many a driver.

“You tend to see more potholes close to intersections and hills, where drivers do more stopping and restarting,” Anderson said.

Thanks to the recent rise in temperature, the problem has began to emerge a lot earlier than usual, Anderson said.

In response, the pair of city employees who repair potholes have began making rounds in local roadways.

The city uses specialized equipment to patch up the crevices, using a mixture of recycled asphalt that is heated up and placed inside the hole to seal it.

While the more mild temperatures seen in recent weeks have caused the pothole problem to resurface, it has also made it easier for crews to make repairs, as snow and other moisture hinders the sealing process, the city manager said.

“Although we have received a lot more calls than usual, I think we are doing a great job of staying on top of the problem,” Anderson said. “I think you can really see the difference our crews are making on the roads.”

In spite of the early thaw, the city manager said the city has plenty of material in reserve for repairs once pothole season begins in earnest.

People who wish to report any potholes can contact city hall at (269) 782-8200 or at DPS_Service_Reques-t@dowagiac.org.