Unusually cold weather upsets
local residents
By Kurt Esposito
Summer
Editor
Even though it is almost summer, Indiana has experienced
low temperatures and a lot of rain, which is more common to the late
winter months.
"I can’t believe it's June, its way too cold,"
said Sarah Kalvelage, a senior in the School of Liberal Arts. "It just
makes it difficult to walk in the rain back and forth between each class."
Phil Smith, professor of atmospheric science, said,
"It’s not completely unprecedented; it is unusual."
He said two separate systems have caused the uncharacteristic
weather, which has provided the area with cold air and rain. The first
was a late winter like wave pattern that contained cold air at many
levels of atmosphere. The pattern was slow moving but by last weekend
it had moved out.
"The stuff we’re seeing now is different
although the kind of effects are similar," said Smith.
He said areas of low pressure moving towards the
northeast caused the weather last week.
"We are not setting any temperature records,
it’s just one of those things. Weather does strange things to us
and this is an isolated example of one of those," he said.
Smith said that although the weather has hampered
some people's recreational activities it has been beneficial because
the rain has made up for a dry early spring. He said it is too early
to tell how long before the weather system passes on, but he said it
could be as early as this week.
Not all students are disappointed by the colder
weather. Randi McElroy, a sophomore in the School of Liberal Arts, said
that even though she has not been able to tan and water ski, she likes
the colder weather.
"It's better than the humidity we had last summer,"
she said.
The weather has also affected many planned recreational
activities throughout the area. Brooke Segal, marketing manager for
Lafayette Parks and Recreation, said the weather has prevented the Columbian
Park from operating like it usually does. The park was not able to open
during its first weekend, May 26, because of the inclement weather.
She said the park will begin its daily operations
today and will prepare for the weather. They will shorten the hours
of operations and heating the water in the park's Tippecanoe Cove.
"We’re here to serve the community even
if Mother Nature is not cooperating," she said.
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