Sharp fragments of broken tire chains and potholes are causing a lot of flat tires after recent snowstorms in western Washington.
“Once the snow started going away, and the plows got everything under control, that’s when we started getting the phone calls,” said Jon Weigel, shop manager at Ace Auto Repair and Tire Pros in North Seattle.
He and his crew have been prying pieces of sheared tire chain links out of rubber ever since that first snowfall on Super Bowl Sunday.
Customers are also showing up with damage caused by potholes.
The Seattle Department of Transportation said it has received an uptick in pothole reports. SDOT had nine road repair crews on the streets Thursday. The city has filled more than 1,500 potholes since the start of the year, a spokesperson said.
Potholes are caused when water seeps into cracks in pavement, freezes, and expands. When the temperature rises, the pavement sinks, and a pothole forms.