This winter will eventually end — the calendar turns the page to Spring on March 19th — but the spring thaw may come even sooner. Michael Rawlins is head of the Climate System Research Center at UMass Amherst. He says when New England’s record-setting snowfall this winter melts, it may bring a host of problems.
The fatal explosion last week in New York has utilities in neighboring states advising their customers about the signs of a gas leak. The explosion in Harlem killed eight people and injured 60 others.
Andrea Luppi is a spokesperson for Columbia Gas Company in Massachusetts. The spring and summer months are when Columbia Gas Company get the most reports of gas leaks.
“Warm temperatures have an impact on frost and pipes that are in the ground so there could be a leak caused from the adjustment of the ground,” Luppi says.
She also says that one of the signs of a gas leak is the smell of rotten eggs. Gas is colorless and odorless so gas companies add a stinky chemical called mercaptan so people will be able to tell if there is a leak.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.