Figuring out what to wear each day this month has been a little tricky, said Chanel Dotson, sophomore public health major.

“I don’t know how to dress for the weather,” Dotson said. “One day it’s raining, one day it’s cold and then the next week it’s hot. The weather’s confusing.”

La Niña, the cooling of ocean temperatures, plays a big part in students’ confusion. A few weeks ago, the weather was in the 70s. Last week, it slipped into the 40s and 50s.

“La Niña means overall we’ll be above average from October to November,” said NIU staff meteorologist Gilbert Sebenste. “Last year, we were definitely well above average for October and November. Last November, temperatures got up in the 70s for a couple of days, but we’ll always have days that are colder than average.”

Sebenste predicts a much colder and snowier winter this year. Some students are already ahead of the game.

“I ordered myself a coat already,” Dotson said. “It’s usually cold around this time of year. But with this weather, I have no idea. I don’t think I’ll last during the winter. I’ll have on seven layers.”

Sebenste also said the weather this month has been above average, coasting in the 70s for an entire week.

“We actually broke record for the longest stretch of days with few or no clouds,” Sebenste said. “We made it in the 70s for eight days in a row. It’s unheard of. That was an amazing week, weather wise. Everyone was loving that.”

However, now students have broken out jackets and boots to survive the last chilly weeks of fall.

This week was also difficult for Victoria Smith, senior calculus administration major, who said the weather was unpredictable.

“I checked the weather [Wednesday] on my phone, and it said it was supposed to rain,” Smith said. “I prepared myself for the weather, but it didn’t even rain.”

Despite the weather bouncing around for the past few weeks, Sebenste does not see major changes in the next few weeks.

“I don’t see any dramatic temperature fluctuations over the next seven to 10 days,” Sebenste said. “We’re looking for milder than average as a whole for November. But particularly in the first week, it will be a little cooler than normal.”