A winter of near-record snowfall has led to an impressive number of potholes on Ottawa streets, say local road maintenance experts.

"It's one of the worst years ever for potholes," said Georges Côté of Concordia Paving, who has been working with asphalt for 30 years.

"There's more because of the frost, the mild weather, the freezing weather, the change of weather."

On Thursday, Côté was putting in a cold patch as a temporary fix for a pothole on a busy stretch of Merivale Road. The patch will last a couple of days, but more permanent repair work can't be done until temperatures rise a little.

He said the snowplows that have been working long hours to clear more than 400 centimetres of snow this season don't help either, as they hit manholes and break apart the road.

Steve Goodman, a former pavement engineer for the City of Ottawa, agreed that the weather has been good for pothole formation.

But he said it's possible to prevent potholes forming by keeping the water out of the pavement so it doesn't seep into cracks. When the trapped water freezes, it expands, creating a hole.

Five years ago, the city started applying sealant to some roads to prevent water from entering, but only a fraction of the city's road network has been sealed so far.

"It's expensive and unlikely to happen anytime soon," said Goodman, who is now branch manager for AME Materials Engineering. "We know in the industry if you spend a dollar when the pavement's in good condition, it's a lot cheaper than trying to fix a road that's already broken up."

But local residents tend to want the broken roads they travel or live on fixed first, he added.

Ottawa mechanics are already seeing the effects of this year's potholes said Albert Saikaley, co-owner of Dirienzo and Saikaley Automotive.

Saikaley said more customers are showing up with suspension problems this spring, and he warned customers to be careful.

"If you do have a loose part, and you hit a decent-size pothole … it can disconnect, and you'll lose your steering," he said.