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WORCESTER — As Paul Moosey, commissioner of Public Works and Parks, drives around the city, he doesn't see anything out of the ordinary. Sure, there are snowbanks that are still feet-high, the size of which might be unusual, but what he is looking for is holes — potholes.

They are out there — some are clustered at intersections, others are stand-alone craters — as they get noticed or reported they are being filled, a task that is juggled between the continuing onslaught of snow and snow removal.

"I don't see anything unusual now," Mr. Moosey said.

A few weeks from now it may be a different story because Mr. Moosey does see bumps, heaves and cracks that are precursors to the car-wrecking road hazards.

Like the return of the songbirds, potholes are a rite of spring. Drivers be warned: Given the extremely cold temperatures and weather conditions since the end of January, despite having a relatively mild winter until then, local department of public works and highway crews are bracing for what could be one of the worst pothole seasons in recent memory, if not the worst.

"The amount of frost in the ground is more than normal, and the melting snow adds to that," Mr. Moosey said. "The ingredients are there for a worse season than usual."

Potholes form during the freeze-thaw cycle when water seeps into cracks, freezes, expands and increases the size of the crack. Road material loosens as tires continuously pass over, opening it up until it becomes a pothole.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation said there are two ways to repair a pothole: temporary cold patch, which is used in the colder temperatures in the winter, and a hot asphalt mix, which is applied at higher temperature as a long-term fix.

"Pothole season" lasts from the end of winter into spring, and the potholes seem to have arrived a bit early this year.

MassDOT has reported this has been an unusual year in terms of pothole repairs, specifically along bridges.

MassDOT brought in its bridge deck repair contractor in early February, as opposed to late March or early April, said Amanda Richard, deputy press secretary for MassDOT. In the last three to four weeks, Ms. Richard said MassDOT has addressed 20 locations in need of repair and has an ongoing list.

"Along the bridges, we are seeing lifting of approaches, plow damage to the bridge joints as well as potholes on the bridge decks," Ms. Richard said in an email.

She added that motorists can report potholes to MassDOT directly by calling (857) DOT-INFO (368-4636) or (877) 623-6846.

For the week ending Feb. 28, 139 pothole repairs were made statewide, and 50 of those were in Greater Worcester.

To date, MassDOT reports that District 3 (which serves Greater Worcester) has spent approximately $71,692 on pothole repair.

The cost to motorists can be far more. AAA reported last year that pothole damage costs drivers nationwide an estimated $6.4 billion a year.

"Our road service department has not yet seen an increase in tire changes or requests for tows due to potholes," said Mary Maguire, director of public and legislative affairs for AAA of Southern New England. "Up until this last week, they've dealt largely with battery-related calls due to the cold. It's a secondary concern because we are still dealing with ice and water damage to our homes and roofs, getting to work on time, especially with some of the problems with the MBTA, so coping and dealing with road hazards is a secondary concern."

The most common type of pothole damage is to tires, wheels, rims and alignment, Ms. Maguire said. AAA advises drivers to avoid distracted driving and keep eyes focused, scanning the road ahead; keep tires properly inflated to provide protection as well as for fuel efficiency and safety; do not swerve erratically to avoid bumps; and reduce speed, break lightly and keep both hands on the steering wheel to maintain control.

"It's going to be a challenge, and unfortunately, we are only seeing the very beginning of pothole season," said Lenny Laasko, director of public works in Fitchburg. "The thawing and rain is really going to start opening them up. Sure, it will be a pretty bad season. I wouldn't be surprised if it was one of the worst."

Mr. Laasko said the city has been filling the potholes as they are reported.

"Pretty soon they are going to come in way faster than we can clean up," Mr. Laasko said, adding that at that point, the roads will have to be prioritized, starting with the higher-speed roads first.

Partly to blame is the severe cold — the Siberian Express — that settled over the area bringing zero temperatures.

"It's been a long February but a mellow winter," said Kenneth Pizzetti, director of public works in Webster. "With the cold that has been around for the past five weeks, you can see a lot of the roads moving. A lot of areas have turned up this year that have never been weak before."

Some areas that are surprisingly popping up with potholes include Interstate 395, Mr. Pizzetti said, noting that I-395 has "about 8 inches of asphalt."

Some areas that are easily susceptible to problems are those areas that have recently been cut into for gas-line work, not because the work was done poorly but because the roadway was naturally weakened during the work

As for how they are handling it, Mr. Pizzetti said the towns do have structured procedures.

"When any type of liquid falls, the next day when things dry out you have to address them or put a safety barrel up," Mr. Pizzetti said. "As we go from snow to sleet to rain, we will probably see more moving of things."