Bodies bundled up and noses running with snot, students found that dropping temperatures were just part of the problem Thursday, as strong winds made getting to class a challenge for NIU students.

“The cold didn’t bother me at first, but when the wind picked up it almost threw me down,” said freshman nursing major Amy Henschen.

Henschen’s reaction on the first extremely cold day of the season was shared by other NIU students.

“It’s really windy,” said Nicole Patterson, a freshman undecided major. “I could barely stand up and my bookbag kept flying off my back.”

NIU staff meteorologist Gilbert Sebenste said today’s weather will be similar to yesterday’s, but it should let up by Monday.

“What we’re experiencing is basically an early present from the northern regions of Canada,” said Sebenste. “It’s not usually this cold.”

The reason for the early chill, Sebenste added, is because a polar high-pressure system from Canada has traveled down south to the Midwest. Once the system goes away, and we get warmer winds from the south, the area should go back to the normal temperatures for late October. This should increase temperatures back into the 50s.

The high on Thursday did manage to climb into mid-30s, but with the wind chill the temperatures remained in the lower 20s, Sebenste said.

That calculation was made with the new wind chill index. After 40 years of using the same method to calculate wind chill, the National Weather Service began adjusting this week, and by Nov. 1, only will use the new method, said Sebenste.

With the old system, Thursday’s wind chill would have dipped all the way to seven degrees.

With the new system, body heat has a bigger effect. So when calculating the chill factor, the heat radiating from your body is taken into account and that makes the temperature on the surface of your skin a bit warmer, said Sebenste.

If Sebenste is correct about the temperatures rising soon, Patterson said she’ll be happy.

“I’ll be glad,” Patterson said. “I hate cold weather … I don’t like wearing all those layers.”

But Sebenste did bear a little bad news. Although the temperatures will rise for a bit, Thursday was a taste of what he expects DeKalb to experience during the long winter months.nicole billadeau photo

Ashley Sronkoski, a freshman speech pathology major, buys a cup of coffee Thursday afternoon at the Holmes Student Center to warm up from the cold weather.