After months of below average temperatures and heavy snow, spring officially arrives today on the NIU campus.

“I’m sick of wearing winter clothes,” freshman undecided major Megan Millon. “I want to break out my shorts.”

The quick warm-up that has taken place in the DeKalb area recently is a trend that NIU staff meteorologist Gilbert Sebenste warns students to be wary of.

“It’s trending to be a colder than average April,” Sebenste said. “After that, it appears that it will warm up quickly.”

DeKalb endured its second consecutive brutal winter with over 50 inches of snow. Although well shy of the 2007-2008 total of 61.1 inches, the 2008-2009 winter was still nearly 15 inches above normal for the DeKalb region.

On top of the heavy snow, below average temperatures kept NIU in a deep freeze for most of the winter. Sebenste said the regional temperature was three degrees below normal on a daily average.

Warm temperatures bring along many benefits, but the possibility of new weather hazards arise.

“Now instead of blizzards we have to worry about tornadoes, hail and lightning,” Sebenste said.