Students bundled themselves in winter coats and gloves on campus this week as a wedge of cool air settled over Eugene on Monday and pushed the mercury to below-average temperatures for January.
Monday and Tuesday saw temperatures dip 2 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than normal, and Wednesday the temperature fell 7 degrees below normal as daytime highs reached 39 degrees and overnight lows dropped to 27 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
“Eugene had some clearing, and those cooler temperatures led to some frosty mornings,” said National Weather Service technician Dean Sondhe, who works in the NWS Portland office. “High pressure and a lack of cloud cover created that.”

Daytime highs climbed to 43 degrees Thursday, and south winds blew at a 7 mph clip, the Eugene Airport reported. Overnight lows were expected to reach 30 degrees as clouds began to blanket the area.
Many students dressed accordingly to shield against the cold.
“I’m wearing six layers of clothing,” English major Anny Gateley said Thursday from her bike near the EMU Amphitheater . “In order: Iong johns, a long-sleeved shirt, a T-shirt, a wool shirt, a ‘hoody’ and a jacket.”
Gateley also wrapped a scarf around her neck and smoked a cigarette to stay warm, she said.

But a reprieve from the cold should arrive by the weekend, bringing with it moisture and slightly milder conditions
Sondhe said clouds building Thursday would shed rain Friday evening, with highs in the mid-40s. Saturday will see rain giving way to showers by evening, with highs of 40 to 45 degrees and an overnight low of 35 degrees. Sunday should bring more rain, with highs in the low 40s.
But while the cold holds a frosty reign outside, students living in residence halls haven’t called pleading for space heaters or extra blankets since the cooler temperatures settled in Monday, said Gordon Melby, maintenance supervisor for the residence halls.
“We keep the rooms at a minimum temperature of 70 degrees,” Melby said. “If students want it hotter than that, they can wear a sweater.”