PROVIDENCE — Snowstorms and hail, followed by torrents of rain. Freezing temperatures giving way to spring-like reprieves that suddenly flip back to brutal cold.

This winter has been unpredictable and more intense than in most years, and now that the snow has melted (for now), the damage is evident. Potholes –– those huge crater-size depressions caused by the rapid expansion and contraction of roadways–– are everywhere.

Many communities have beefed up the numbers of crews that fill potholes and and make other road repairs after snowstorms. The state Department of Transportation has already received more claims for pothole damage to vehicles than it did in the previous winter.

“It’s been a severe winter,” says Providence Public Works Director John D. Nickelson, whose department has recruited workers from the Parks Department to help fill potholes. “The real problem? It’s when the snow is followed by rain and followed by a hard freeze. It’s this New England weather that’s the problem.”

The annual rite of pothole repair underscores the urgent need for a major overhaul of the state’s roadways, many of which have taken a beating over the years and are well past their prime, state and local officials say.

“Every year the roads are getting worse and it’s getting difficult to keep up with,” says East Providence Director of Public Works Stephen Coutu, who has some of his crews filling potholes their entire shift.

“Patching isn’t the cure-all. The long-term solution is repaving our roadways,” Nickerson agrees.

Of all the areas of the state, the “snow belt” –– the rural northwest extending from Foster to Glocester to Scituate –– happens to have some of the state’s oldest roads and seems to be the hardest hit, according to Joseph Baker, acting director of the Department of Transportation’s Highway and Bridge Maintenance Division.

The interstate and other major highways are generally in good shape, says Baker, since those roads are typically of a higher quality construction and have been better maintained over the years.

But within smaller communities, there are pockets of problem areas.

Topography (how high the water table is in an area, for instance) and the frequency of a road’s use are major factors in creating pothole-prone roads, municipal officials say.

But potholes eventually appear anywhere water has infiltrated into cracks in pavement and seeped into and softened the underlying soil, allowing roadways to flex and bend.

The freezing and thawing of winter turns water to ice to water, driving wedges in the pavement and causing more breaks. Intersections, generally, are the most problematic.

“Railroad crossings. Major intersections. Anywhere where there is constant friction of the tires from the starting and stopping,” says Woonsocket Public Works Director Michael Annarummo, who has assigned three to five of his 36 workers to pothole details.

The more potholes out there, the harder it is for public works crews to respond quickly, and the more the likelihood that people will drive over them and damage their cars.

Through this month, the DOT has received 140 claims for pothole damage this winter, up from 136 all of last winter.

In Providence, there have been 58 claims filed with the city between Jan. 1 and Feb. 17 for damage caused by potholes. That’s way up from the 15 pothole claims filed in the same period last year.

Part of that is the timing of snowstorms: last year, the snows came later than they did this year, which meant that potholes popped up later and people filed damage claims later, says Second Deputy City Clerk Lori L. Hagen, who handles the claims.

A review of recent pothole claims in Providence shows a range of tires flattened, rims broken, wheels knocked out of alignment and shock absorbers damaged. The repairs cost anywhere from $100 to $1,000 (state law caps payouts for pothole damage at $300).

The cost to local governments for these claims is a big motivator for public works crews to patch up potholes quickly, even if it means a temporary fix.

Pothole repair is a simple process: drop an asphalt mix into the offending fissure and push it down with something heavy. Driving the wheel of a heavy duty truck over the mix can sometimes do the trick.

The problem is that many regional asphalt plants close for the winter and don’t offer the good stuff. “Hot patch,” which needs to be heated before it’s laid down, is closer in consistency to real pavement and preferred for the job. But what’s available usually is “cold patch,” which does not require heating and is not as durable as hot patch.

“It basically washes away with the rain,” says Nickelson, of Providence, whose department uses a “high performance” cold patch that he says is about four to five times better than others on the market, but still not tough enough for the worst that winter can throw.

So now, in the peaceful days between the snow, the rain, and the ice, highway crews across the state are rolling out.

They’re armed with their cold patch –– a Band-Aid. They’re filling in the gaps and craters and cracks. They’re hoping the weather stays mild.

pmarcelo@projo.com