The famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, predicted it will be an early spring this year, according to NPR.
However, this does not mean the cold weather will go away, even if this coming weekend warms up, according to according to Jon Palmer, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine.
Students at KSC can expect the average to slightly above-average temperatures for the rest of the spring, he said.
Palmer said average temperatures for the region in February are usually 23.4 degrees for February and 32.1 degrees for March.
However, He noted, “It’s difficult to tell, it’s going to depend on week by week … what types of patterns we land in.”
As for snow he also said it is hard to tell, during above average temperature years, there has been a lot of snow and during below average temperatures years there has been very little.
With the cold weather can come the dangers of frostbite and frostnip – the early stages of frostbite.
Amanda Martins, nurse practitioner at the Wellness Center, said some tall tale signs of frostnip are numbness, tingling and red or whitish in color in the affected area.
“[It’s] really important when you get to that stage to initiate rewarming,” she said.
To do that she said someone should never put the area under hot water, but rather a temperature similar to normal body temperature.
“In the vast majority of cases if you take those measures … then you’ll regain everything fine,” she said.
To avoid this she said it’s important to plan ahead and to check the weather and plan for that temperature.
Additionally, she said wearing layers and covering hands with mittens or gloves, along with hats help a lot as well.
“Anytime you see the temperature is going to be 32 degrees or less you need to be planning to cover that skin,” Martins said.
As someone who likes to go on late-night walks and enjoys the colder weather, sophomore Jude Holesovsky likes to sport his authentic Irish wool cap and wool-lined long coats. However, because the wool can get pretty itchy, he said he will wear flannels underneath to prevent that.
Additionally, Holesovsky said he grew a beard to keep his face warm.
“My face has never been warmer,” he said.
For senior Emma Whitehead, she said she is about a 10-minute walk to campus from her dorm in Pondside 2.
“I definitely have to wear snow boots and a big scarf,” she said in order to deal with the colder weather.
She said she recommends other students wear natural fibers and avoid polyester to stay warmer.
“Hit all the bases, don’t skimp for style,” she added.
Tim Bruns can be contacted at
tbruns@kscequinox.com
