After weeks of low temperatures, wind and snow, Cornell students are going to be met with springlike temperatures this weekend and into next week.
Warmer temperatures will begin this Saturday and continue through Wednesday, reaching a high of 72 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the forecast, Saturday is expected to have a high of 63 degrees with evening showers, and Sunday will bring clear skies after the morning clouds have passed.
Monday is expected to be sunny with a high of 68 degrees, with temperatures peaking on Tuesday at 72 degrees with partly cloudy skies. To finish off the few days of spring temperatures, Wednesday is expected to bring rain with a high of 67 degrees, before temperatures are predicted to drop to highs in the 30s and 40s once more from Thursday onward.
According to the National Weather Service, a warm front is responsible for the temperatures in the mid-50 and 60 degrees on Saturday, with a cold front bringing rain and thunderstorms that evening. With periodic rainfall this weekend into next week, local rivers and streams pose a risk of flooding.
This brief period of warmer weather comes as a relief to students who have endured days with temperatures near or below freezing. In past years, January and February in Ithaca have had average high temperatures around 31 to 33 degrees, where March has an average high of 41 degrees. The highest temperature forecasted for this week will exceed the average for this time of year by over 20 degrees.
This March won’t have any record-breaking temperatures, though — 2012 holds the record for the warmest March in Ithaca with an average temperature of 56.4 degrees.
The warmer temperatures offer students an opportunity to enjoy being outdoors after weeks of relentless cold, with some popular spots including Libe Slope, Buttermilk Falls or the Beebe Lake trail. These next few days will be a quick introduction to spring weather in Ithaca before returning to colder temperatures for a few more weeks.
