Sunday, February 12, 2012

New Hampshire Scenes: FROST HEAVES

Frost Heaves

In "the south" as in Pennsylvania, New Jersey
and other places that experience freeze and defrost weather, 
pot holes are the result.
NH has a different phenomenon. 
As the cold seeps more deeply into the ground, 
the ground beneath many of the secondary road beds slowly expands.
No pot holes, because this is an ongoing process.
But as the cold  continues, the expansion becomes much more obvious, 
causing the roads to heave, undulate, and generally become
quite uneven.
Towns and the state put up the glowing signs to warn drivers. 
Who needs speed bumps? 
By the time winter is over, we're used to driving slowly, and just when we begin to readjust, the signs appear again.

Signs must be for those from "away" because I've heard locals and "full timers" (as opposed to seasonal residents) talk about avoiding particular roads because of the frost heaves, and arguing about which roads are the worst. 
Last year the signs began appearing in mid-Nov, this year in mid-January.

And a word of extra caution, 
if you're driving on a back road and see a "BUMP" sign, it might be worth stopping and proceeding with real caution.
They are worse than mere FROST HEAVES.
         (Visit my webpage for more NH Scenes under paintings   barbaramcevoyartist.com   )