As the leaves change color and fall around campus, students usually prepare themselves for the upcoming winter months. However, Mother Nature had other plans. An unexpected Indian Summer, a heat wave after the first frost, swept Ohio State’s campus this week.
Thursday the temperature reached a high of 80 degrees at 3:05 p.m. The average high for October 25 is 67 degrees, according to Weather.com. This late October heat spell was a pleasant surprise for some students.
“I wasn’t expecting it but I’m appreciating it,” said Connor Slone, a third-year in material science engineering.
As well as coming as a surprise, some students have said they have seen a lot more of their peers out and around campus.
Luke Fesko, a second-year in political science and German noticed additional traffic at the booth set up by President Barack Obama supporters on the Oval.
“There’s a lot more people and they’re a lot nicer when it’s brighter and the weather’s nice,” Fesko said. “I stay outside a lot more. I love this weather.”
Some students have been using the warm weather as an excuse to eat warm-weather treats.
“(Ice cream sales are) definitely higher than this time last year,” said Tony Ramos, an employee at the North Campus United Dairy Farmers on High Street and a student at Columbus State.
Ramos hadn’t noticed any other sales changes due to the weather, and said the last major change in sales was an increased sale of energy drinks when he thinks students were taking a lot of midterms.
However, some students are choosing to forget about school work and enjoy the unseasonable weather.
“My philosophy is this is only going to be around two to three days and I’m foregoing work right now, hanging out in the Oval and chatting with friends because I know it’s going to be nasty in a few days,” Slone said, while relaxing on the Oval with friend Jonathan Arledge, a third-year in mechanical engineering.
Arledge said he was not expecting the unseasonably warm weather and is looking forward to it being over.
“I’m ready for winter, I’m ready for snow,” he said.
