They are messy, they are bumpy and they are sometimes very costly.

“I had a $1,000 repair on this truck from a pothole last winter,” said driver Gerald Woods.

But amazingly this winter, potholes are somewhat of a nonfactor, just like snow and ice. 

According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, there have been minimal pothole complaints this winter. Last January through mid-February, the department had 348 pothole complaints. This year in that same time span, there have only been 36 complaints.

According to a spokesperson for the city of Minneapolis, they are on track to save as much as $1.4 million dollars on things like overtime pay, parts, fuel and salt… all associated with winter road treatment.

The mild weather has also allowed the city to keep the street sweepers running and do more training for snowplow drivers if and when it snows.

But not everyone hates potholes.  Some businesses rely on them.

At Southeast Auto Service in Minneapolis, they say business is down about 25% due to the mild winter.

“Heavy snowfall and cold temps are hard on a car. The winter means sliding into curbs, hitting potholes and fender benders. It really does come down to the weather,” said mechanic Guy Podgorski.