Dreadful start now confirmed for this annual NJ event

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but New Jersey has officially begun the process of a long and horrible upcoming season.

It's not really the same kind of season as our local football teams blowing their chances of going through the playoffs all the way. In fact, it might even be more painful than that.

And it's something drivers dread every single year. No matter what, it's something you can't avoid.

It all starts now, in the dead of winter. January 16, 2024, in particular, played a big role in what's to come eventually.

During that particular day, New Jersey saw its first day with statewide snowfall on the ground. In fact, the snow really began the day before, but lasted through the day on January 16.

But January 16 also saw some warming with ice and rain mixing in at times. Never a good combination when it comes to having to drive on the roads.

Then that evening, temperatures dropped. And they didn't just go down, but they went down by a lot.

Whenever you have a situation like that, it almost certainly leads to flash freezing. And it's not only dangerous on the roads, but on the sidewalks as well.

Because parts of the state dealt with icy or liquid precipitation during the day, it created puddles on the ground. That, of course, includes the snow melt that also occurred.

But then with plummeting temperatures, everything refroze on contact. And that naturally created very dangerous conditions.

Slips and falls are much more likely in scenarios like this, as well as vehicle accidents. And if the roads aren't properly treated, be prepared to go slipping and sliding at some point behind the wheel.

Fortunately, New Jersey's road crews are on the job spreading brine and rock salt so you stay safe. It's all part of the winter season, after all.

But, it also creates problems. Not right now, but down the road. And when we say down the road, we also mean, down into the road.

All that road salt and brine melting snow and ice allows that liquid to get into the cracks of the road. And when that happens, it also helps set the stage for that dreaded event New Jersey deals with every single season.

Welcome to the early stages of New Jersey's pothole season. Where freezing temperatures, melting snow, ice, salt and brine, and above-freezing fluctuations in air temperatures all contribute to those craters we'll soon be driving over.

Combine that with the weight of our vehicles and you have a recipe for disaster. Unfortunately for us, January 16, 2024, really helped kickstart this upcoming season to be a fairly bad one.

It's not that mild winters won't prevent potholes as the fluctuating temperatures from below freezing and back to above will most certainly help them form. Anytime moisture gets between those cracks begins that cycle of destruction.

However, as mentioned above, the really cold temperatures combined with all that snow melt and road treatment will definitely make those potholes much worse. Unfortunately, there's no escaping it.

And even worse? Some potholes are already getting fairly large even at this stage of winter. Not good news for the upcoming spring season.

In fact, it shouldn't be any surprise to learn that New Jersey is one of the worst states in the nation when it comes to potholes. But what is surprising, is that we're actually not the number one state when it comes to those massive craters.

New Jersey Potholes in 2024

Seventh worst in the nation for potholes. Hey, at least we're not number one on this list.

So as winter rolls along, keep your eyes open on the roads for where those craters are forming. And if you've already seen them, feel free to let others know in the comments.

Those potholes can be brutal to our cars, and winters with ice, rain, snow, warm, cold, salt, and brine only add to the problem. Welcome to the pre-season of that annual New Jersey event... the dreaded pothole season.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 Sunday morning host Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.