Sir, I'm just trying to order a Frosty.

Well, she is quite lovely. But I still think you're gay. /s

Hope she wins!

Thanks for the note, Buzz Killington.

A few weeks ago, Texas entered an irregular cold snap. Using Dallas, Texas as an example, the temperature got as low as three degrees Fahrenheit over the better part of a week. Then, temperatures rose just as suddenly and within a few days Dallas got up to 80 degrees. When the temps lower the roads contract. When it gets warmer the roads expand. The sudden and dramatic temperature shift makes the surface of the roads expand, BUT the material underneath the surface does not warm up as fast as the material on top, thus shearing and splitting occur, water gets in and washes away ground soil, add some stress from cars and trucks rolling over it, and you get some nasty potholes. People from Michigan live with this as they are in a climate that shifts regularly and potholes are a way of life. However, while salt, road plows, and generally crappy weather regularly cause potholes, when Michiganders see a weather swing such as Texas had then they know pothole Armageddon is not far behind. It is not only that new potholes form, but also potholes that were already there will become worse.

That's not how salt on roads works. It's not for grip like sand. First, salt lowers the temperature required to freeze water making it less likely to turn into ice. Second, salt dissolves in water so it can't grind and do anything like sand does. Salts contribution to potholes is that it is more likely to let water into the road in freezing conditions, but it is only one factor, a small one, that contributes to potholes. The 80° swing between sub freezing temperatures and 70° weather is going to cause buckling under roads leading to potholes. That is a much bigger factor than salt.

Texas, you have no idea how hard it was for Ohio to say that. Don't worry too much, though. Come November all will be right with the world again.

Nice username.

Rockin & Rye baby! Put on that white shirt and enjoy them stainful memories for years!

Red pop close second.

I am so sorry. I've been there with the "why me?" feeling. Take care of yourself.

Concrete is supposed to be more durable than asphalt regarding potholes, but Texas has had a nearly eighty degree swing in temperature in some places. There are few road building materials that can withstand that much change in such a short amount of time. It's likely going to be an issue everywhere.

Fam in Houston, I'm from the northern Detroit suburbs.

Very good point! I wish I could edit the post to add this. Five pound asphalt bricks are no joke.

As a frequent visitor to Texas, my experience tells me that someone is just going to come along and draw a bigger dick next to it.

It's cool. I have family in Houston and have driven the state many times. I hate to be this way, but, no... you don't got this. Those potholes only happen in certain areas. The potholes that are coming are going to happen everywhere. I am not trying to be combative, but there are potholes that make you go bump, and then there are potholes that can roll your car. The latter are coming, and they are coming everywhere.

The kind of potholes you can expect with this kind of temperature swing are not going to be tiny, cute little things. The roads have been frozen for a few days, but with the sudden warm weather, the surfaces of the roads are warming up a LOT faster than the material underneath. This is going to tear up the roads, like, violently. Some potholes are going to be huge, and I mean gargantuan. Homeless people are going to move into them and they will swallow compact cars whole. Okay, hyperbole aside, it is not unusual to see potholes feet deep (not inches: feet). They can total cars and even flip trucks under the right conditions (high-rise trucks need to be especially careful due to their high center of gravity). If you see a large pothole, call your road commission or whoever needs to be aware of them. Don't assume they know... there are going to be a lot.

Yeah, going from sub-zero temperatures to plus seventy-degree temps is like dropping an ice cube into room temperature water. You know that "pop" the ice makes? Yeah, that's the roads right now. Take care of yourself.

That, and saying "It's okay! It's okay! It's okay!"

It's not okay.

Mine: "I believe you can do better than this."

Gg tampa. They beat us. We didn't lose. They simply beat us.

Credit where credit due: we are not losing, we are getting beat. Coaching, offense, and defense. The Bucs are just plain beating us.

Please don't do this. It's exactly what San Francisco said about the game last year.

Actually... Yes. Working mother, living her dream, yet still being a mother at the most inconvenient time. Very cool pic. Totally think about her differently and with great respect.