Last Monday students bundled up in jackets and scarves, attempting in vain to keep out the frigid air.
By Tuesday, they flocked onto campus green spaces in short sleeves.
And this Thursday, forecasters expect temperatures to reach the upper 70s.
Welcome to North Carolina.
Although some residents of the state may find the weather strange, Al Riordan, an associate professor in the marine, earth and atmospheric science department, says otherwise.
“Unusual is normal on this planet,” Riordan said. “People psychologically associate normal with what they want to remember.”
Riordan said the cold has not been persistent in North Carolina for many years.
“The weather patterns are especially dramatic in the winter,” he said.
Although claims that global warming is taking place abound, Riordan said the phenomenon is not the cause of the winter weather fluctuations.
“Global warming is taking place, and it’s the biggest in the Arctic right now, but we need to remember that there is so much variability with global warming,” Riordan said.
Riordan stressed the fact that this winter has been mild, compared to previous winters in North Carolina.
“The westerly patterns are warmer, and that is resulting in warmer temperatures,” he said.
Ryan Boyles, the associate state climatologist in the State Climate Office, said location is a big factor for weather patterns in North Carolina.
“We are far enough north and far enough south,” Boyles said. “It’s like we are at a crossroads.”
Boyles said winter in North Carolina generally has a few warmer months. “The climate change is typical of weather in North Carolina,” he said. “Sometimes it’s so warm that we feel like we are in Florida for a few days and that’s not so unusual for us.”
According to Boyles, the natural progression of weather in North Carolina is being unstable.
“We tap into warm weather, and then we get a blast of cold air,” he said.
Boyles said the Earth as a whole is undergoing global warming, but like Riordan, doesn’t attribute the warm weather in North Carolina to the phenomenon. “The Earth as a whole is warming, but the trends in North Carolina are mainly due to the location of the state,” he said.
Barrett Smith, a graduate student in meteorology and vice president of the student chapter of the American Meteorological Society, said the weather in North Carolina depends on a combination of two things.
“We have to have the perfect setup [in wintertime] to get snow: there has to be the perfect setup of cold air and the perfect setup of moisture in the air,” Smith said. “Depending on how the combination comes together, we can get rain, freezing rain or snow.”
Smith agreed with Boyles, stating location plays an important role in the weather patterns in North Carolina.
“We have to have cold air supply from the north, and some type of storm to give us moisture from the south,” Boyles said. “It’s unbelievable how close we can come to getting snow and get rain, instead.”
However, Smith said, he wouldn’t narrow “crazy weather patterns” just to North Carolina.
“The weather can be odd sometimes, but it’s like that almost everywhere,” Smith said.
According to Smith, this particular winter has been a warm winter in general.
“There hasn’t been a significant amount of snow this winter in the Northeastern part of the country either,” he said.
He said global warming has not had an effect on weather patterns, attributing them instead to “cycles that the weather goes through.”
“We wouldn’t have snow six years ago if global warming was in full swing,” Smith said. “Global warming isn’t working that fast, if it’s working at all.”
John Hopeck, a senior in economics, and a Massachusetts native, said he enjoys the weather in North Carolina.
“We have all four seasons here,” Hopeck said. “Although sometimes the weather can be odd, you’re safe if you carry a light jacket and an umbrella in your car.”
Laura De Castro, a sophomore in political science and Spanish, and a North Carolina native, said although the weather patterns are odd, she enjoys the weather in general.
“It’s a lot warmer than other places, and I definitely enjoy the warmer weather,” De Castro said.