Though State College has experienced a wave of unseasonably warm temperatures during the past week, the upcoming forecast may call for parkas rather than Frisbee disks.

According to The Weather Channel's Web site, temperatures will be dropping to a 42-degree high today -- more than 10 degrees lower than yesterday's high of 53 degrees. Flurries might even be visiting State College as soon as Saturday.

Ben Sipprell (junior-meteorology) is not surprised by the sudden change in weather.

"It is so unpredictable," Sipprell said.

Sipprell said a cold air system is moving in tonight from the New York region, where temperatures have been as cold as zero degrees, while State College has reveled in the warmer weather.

Todd Miner, a Penn State instructor of meteorology, said the cold front coming into Happy Valley originated in the area of the Great Lakes. A cold front even passed the region as early as yesterday afternoon and was responsible for the colder temperatures later in the day, he said.

"The days of the January thaw are definitely over," Miner said.

The temperatures that reached into the mid-60s over the past week are certainly unusual for this time of year but are not as extraordinary as one might think. Normally State College would be settling into weather in the 30-degree range at this time of year.

Jeremy Tabin (senior-meteorology), a tower station worker at Penn State's Campus Weather Service, said that winter thaws are related to the jet stream and upper level air fluctuations.

"We usually have a real hard cold spell in January and February, then a week of warm weather, then another cold snap," Tabin said

Sipprell said thaws are commonplace in weather patterns.

"It is normal ecologically to get a thaw during the winter," Sipprell said.

Rochelle Zuck (graduate-English) is not happy with the return to colder temperatures.

"I was definitely loving the spring-like weather," Zuck said.

Jeff Pugh (senior-biology) is disgusted with the waning weather, and summed up his feelings in two words.

"It sucks," he said.

A return to colder temperatures might even be pleasing to some of the population with a possibility of snow on Monday, according to The Weather Channel Web site.

Miner thinks temperatures might return to "mild" on Friday, but he does not discount the possibility of snow next week.

Josh Golomb (senior-civil engineering) said he was not a fan of snow, especially since his brother suffered a skiing accident last week. However, Golomb has been enjoying the sunnier weather.

"It's good golfing weather," he said.