In the Midwest, where overcoming bad weather is routine, this winter has been especially taxing.

In the past two weeks, NIU has seen sub-zero temperatures countered with near-perfect spring temperatures, plus the snow, hail and sleet that hit DeKalb over the weekend.

Gilbert Sebenste, NIU’s staff meteorologist, said last week’s warm temperatures were due to a fundamental shift in the jet stream pattern caused by warm air from the Pacific Ocean.

It was this same shift that caused the sloppy mess of rain and snow showers over the weekend.

Despite the warm-up that had happened earlier last week, Sebenste said DeKalb is experiencing normal temperatures.

The weekend mess

In DeKalb County, there was a total of five inches of snow and sleet that fell over the weekend, and 1.15 inches of that was melted snow, sleet and rain, which accounted for the heavy, wet snow that made it more difficult to shovel driveways and sidewalks.

“Compared to elsewhere in the local region, DeKalb did relatively good in the weather,” Sebenste said. “Sunday’s high was 36 degrees, with the low being 29 degrees.”

All of this weather that hit the region on Saturday and Sunday likely came straight from the Rocky Mountains.

Sebenste said we should be on the lookout for yet another strong system that will more than likely hit the DeKalb area on Thursday or Friday.

“This system will be just as bad as the weekend’s system,” Sebenste said. “This is currently forming along the West Coast.”

Student reaction

Many NIU students had to alter their plans due to the inclement weather over the weekend.

“It ruined my Saturday night, since the roads were so bad,” said Chrissy Altergott, senior elementary education major.

“But, Sunday wasn’t so bad for me, although the parking lot where I live at wasn’t plowed when I got up for church early Sunday morning.”

Altergott said it was hard enough for her to shovel out her car that was stuck, but so far, her car has been operable in the weather.

Claudia Hernandez, a junior nursing major, and Sumera Singapuri, a sophomore OMIS major, said they both disliked the weekend’s mix of snow and rain.

“It was so horrible for me, because I wanted to rest from the long week,” said Singapuri. “I wanted to spend my weekend with family over in Aurora, and I ended up having to shovel snow.”

Hernandez had to shovel her car out of the driveway since it was stuck.

“It’s so wet today; there’s so many puddles around campus,” Hernandez said. “I wish that they would clean up the walkways a little better instead of having to step in the water.”