Viewfinder: Wacky Weather Makes Monster Potholes

You're probably all too familiar with this situation: You grab a full cup of coffee on the way to the train station or to drop the kids off at school, jump into the car, start driving...and "splash"—you have a lap full of coffee. 

This year's unseasonably harsh weather has left gaping holes in our streets as well as our wallets. Rivertowns streets are riddled with potholes. 

Here's why:

A quick search on Wikipedia reveals that, "the formation of potholes is exacerbated by low temperatures, as water expands when it freezes to form ice, and puts greater stress on an already cracked pavement or road. Once a pothole forms, it grows through continued removal of broken chunks of pavement. If a pothole fills with water, the growth may be accelerated—as the water 'washes away' loose particles of road surface as vehicles pass."

The following gallery shows the deepest (widest, longest and most insidious) offenders.

Drive carefully.