Where are the potholes?

No snow on the ground means fewer of Omaha's winter menace

You must surely feel driving around Omaha is less interesting this winter. Fewer potholes means fewer chances to test your evasive maneuver skills.

Sucks, right?

There’s no doubt this winter season has been a lot easier on city streets.

Just as an example, the city received 1,135 calls and emails complaining about potholes during the first five days of March 2010.

So far, the city hasn’t seen anywhere near as much snow as it has in the past couple winters. That has city officials hoping they can save some snow removal budget money this year. And it means fewer potholes.

A lack of snow piled on streets means moisture isn’t sinking into the ground. When that happens, the moisture and freeze-thaw cycles during this time of year create a cavity underneath the pavement that eventually collapses on itself.

“We don’t have those conditions right now,” city street maintenance engineer Scott McIntyre told me. “You get a little snow [like we've had] and it dries up pretty quickly before it can work its way down and start damaging the pavement.”

Hopefully it can stay this way through the first couple weeks of February, McIntyre said. That’s primetime for pothole creation.

“We’re going to have the freeze-thaw temperatures, but if we don’t have the moisture or water it’s not going to tear out the pavement,” he said.

Hopefully we haven’t jinxed anything.