Fluctuating temperatures are expected during the spring, but they can cause roads to buckle and crack, eventually creating a road hazard that could leave your vehicle in need of repair -- the dreaded pothole.

Small holes in a road’s smooth surface may seem harmless, but larger ones can cause significant damage to your vehicle. Watch the video above as Meteorologist Mitchel Coombs breaks down the science behind how potholes form.

Potholes begin when water seeps underneath the pavement and collects in areas as the road base softens. Water could be a result of rain or even melted snow.

As temperatures fall, the water underneath the pavement freezes and expands, causing the pavement to swell, bend and subsequently crack. Traffic above can add extra stress to the weakened pavement.

Temperatures then rise, and the ice will eventually melt, resulting in holes under the paved surface. Pavement can weaken further the process repeats.

Eventually, the weight of passing vehicles will become too much for the road to support, causing it to collapse into a pothole. Continuous impact will chip more and more of the road surface away, expanding the hole with time.

What happens when salt is brought into the picture? Water freezes at 32 degrees, and when salt is used, it lowers the temperature water will freeze. This creates an artificial freeze-thaw cycle that permits more occurrences of the damaging cycle.

As temperatures rise over the next few months, more potholes are likely to appear. That is a good reason for drivers to be particularly cautious this spring.

To stay informed of your current weather conditions, visit our website and nbcmontana.com/weather.