Kansas City Potholes: How to Survive the Winter

Whether you love or hate winter, one thing everyone can agree on is that the weather can wreak havoc on road conditions. Although spring is when most areas tend to notice all the road damage, Kansas City potholes start appearing from the first freeze in fall to the final freeze in spring.

What causes potholes in Kansas City?

Road damage from winter is an annoyance just about anywhere in the country, but potholes in Kansas City and areas with similar climate are particularly annoying and troublesome. In northern states with severe winter seasons, potholes normally pop up in the spring, but in the Kansas City metro area, temperatures fluctuate between deep-freeze conditions and spring-like conditions throughout the winter.

Cracks and small holes develop on roads over time due to regular wear and tear. Potholes are caused when water gets into those cracks and holes and soaks into the soil underneath. When the weather is warm, not much happens as a result; however, in the winter, it’s a different story.
As the wet soil freezes when temperatures drop, it expands and rises. Then, when the frozen soil warms back up, it leaves a space under the asphalt that collapses and you’re left with a pothole. Add in the corrosion that occurs with the up-and-down temperature trends, along with road salt, and it becomes easy to understand why potholes in Kansas City are so prevalent.

How to survive the winter with Kansas City potholes
Surviving the maze of inevitable potholes through Kansas City in the winter just takes a little bit of preparation. Here are a few tips for how to avoid potholes, minimize the damage they cause, and get them repaired so that you and fellow motorists can try to enjoy stress-free driving through the winter. 

     Pothole Survival Tips

• Slow down, eyes up: When roads are wet and cold, you should slow down anyway, but that also gives you the ability to look far ahead to see any upcoming potholes. Avoid following other cars too closely, as that decreases your visibility and gives you time to react if they (or any other cars ahead) are swerving to avoid potholes.

• Avoid impacts safely: If you do see an upcoming pothole and you’re driving at a safe speed, quickly check to see what vehicles are around you, and do your best to avoid driving over potholes if you can do it safely. Avoid sudden movements that could startle other drivers around you.

• Avoid puddles: After rain falls or snow melts, potholes can look like nothing more than a small puddle. During the winter and spring, treat puddles as if they’re potholes and avoid them when possible.

• Minimize impact: If you’re coming up on a pothole and can’t safely avoid it, check your mirrors to see if you have someone following too closely, and if not, slow down a bit to minimize the impact you’re about to encounter. Get off the brakes before driving over the pothole, however, as that will allow more suspension travel to absorb the hit.

• Maintain proper air pressure: Remember, temperatures vary greatly during a Kansas City winter, so check your tires regularly to ensure they’re at the recommended air pressure.

• Check for damage: If you’ve hit a major pothole, inspect your wheel(s) and tire(s) that absorbed the hit as soon as possible. Look for visible signs of damage such as a bent or cracked wheel, bulging or bubbled sidewalls, and loss of air pressure. Keep in mind that even if you have a tire pressure monitoring system, some can be slow to respond to changes, so keep a tire pressure gauge in your vehicle.

Also, pay attention for any new vibrations while driving or steering that pulls left or right. Even without visible wheel or tire damage, you could have damaged suspension components or your alignment could simply be thrown off from a big impact.

• Report potholes: In many cities, including Kansas City, you can dial 3-1-1 to report potholes. Last year, nearly 18,000 potholes were reported throughout the winter, and the Department of Transportation worked feverishly to get them repaired. Calling in is the only way the city will know there’s non-emergency work to be done, and if you don’t call, who knows if anyone else will. Do yourself and everyone else a favor and report any new potholes you encounter.

• Bonus—Use seasonal wheels and tires: Not everyone has the budget for a separate set of wheels and tires or the space to store them, but if you can make it work, a dedicated set of winter wheels and tires can be the ultimate protection.

Not only can you have appropriate seasonal tires mounted to the wheels, but you can also downsize your wheel diameter so that you can increase your sidewall height. That will add an extra layer of protection to wheels and suspension components, but still follow all the above tips to minimize damage.

Don’t let yourself get overly confident about Kansas City potholes if you drive the same route every day and feel like you have the roads memorized. As the winter weather is constantly changing, new potholes can appear overnight, so always be aware of the road ahead of you. That’s an important habit at all times, and especially in the winter.

If you have damaged tires due to pothole impacts and need replacements or if you need season tires for your car, truck, or SUV to survive winter in Kansas City, contact Zohr online or call/text us at 816-800-9175. Our mobile technicians will deliver your new tires directly to you and install them at your home or office in Kansas.