As students were getting used to T-shirts and sunny skies, Jack Frost returned this weekend for one last blast of winter.

As extreme as the fluctuation seemed, Paul Knight, instructor of meteorology, said it is a normal pattern for this time of year.

"It is a bit more than you like to see, but it is normal," Knight said. "We are at that time where we are ready for spring."

The warm, sunny weather mixed in with cold snaps will continue for about another two weeks, he said.

"Spring is a time when we are kind of in a battle zone," Knight said.

Despite the lingering snowfalls, this winter has not been as harsh as usual. Chris Johannesson, research assistant in the meteorology department, said State College has seen a below average winter this year.

Temperature-wise, it has been colder than in recent years, but there has not been anything too extreme, he said. February was the second snowiest on record, but other months stayed very close to normal. Average precipitation for January was actually below average, with snowfall nearly two inches less than usual.

"This winter can best be characterized as a sustained chill. We flirted with zero quite a few times, but never passed that mark," Johannesson said. He added that zero degrees is a benchmark meteorologists use to measure cold snaps.

This winter seemed to be much colder than the past few winters due to changes in weather patterns. A constant flow of air from Canada and the Arctic has moved into the area. This air flow, absent from previous winters, has lowered temperatures more than in past years, Johannesson said.

Also, an active storm track has been bringing in storms from Texas to the Mid-Atlantic coast. The combination of the two has resulted in a favorable snow track, which resulted in the wet winter, Johannesson said.

The continued chill and regular precipitation is a good sign for this year's plants. The amount of snow and rain will keep the State College area from drought dangers until at least early summer.

Students, however, are not as pleased with the sustained chill of the past few months.

"We have heard complaints from students, mainly that there has been a lot more snow," said Ed Skirkie (senior-meteorology), a forecaster with Campus Weather Service.

For those students, Knight said to be patient for a few more days.

"Just hang in there. We'll iron out real soon. Just give it another 10 days or so," he said.