In warm November, campus prepares for winter

Winter is on its way, even though the warmer temperatures may indicate otherwise.

October and November temperatures have reached higher than normal, but Bob Rauber, department head of atmospheric sciences, said these current temperatures are not necessarily an indication of what is to come.

“It’s not unusual to have temperatures like this in November,” he said. “Winter will get here eventually.”

Despite the warm temperatures and rainy weather, the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office is still preparing for the coming winter months with Winter Weather Awareness Week, which ends Sunday. The organization’s Web site urges people to prepare for the coming winter months by stocking up on food and blankets as well as checking vehicles to make sure they are ready for warmer temperatures.

While the temperature may be higher than average, campus buildings such as Foellinger Auditorium and the Illini Union are still starting to prepare for winter.

Phil Strang, manager of Foellinger Auditorium, said the heat in the building was on for the winter even with temperatures in the high 50s or 60s.

“The heat is turned on at a certain date and there’s nothing I can do to control it,” Strang said. “The heat is not turned off once it is on.”

He added that the heat, ordinarily turned on Nov. 1, was turned on in October as a result of a string of colder days where the weather dipped into the 40s.

The Illini Union’s budgeted heating costs has been increased to $54,500 for November, said Scott McCartney, assistant director of business affairs for the Union. The amount spent on heating in the Union for the month of October was approximately $52,750.

“There are meters around the building that tell you how much heat has been used,” McCartney said. “The amount spent on heating depends on the amount of heat used as shown by these meters.”

In anticipation of the coming winter months, the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District expects more riders.

“When the weather is rainy or cold or blustery, the number of riders goes up,” said Jan Kijowski, Marketing Director for MTD.

However, Rauber said once winter gets here, it might be warmer than usual because of the El Nino in the Pacific.

Generally, during years of El Nino, the weather is warmer than normal and there are fewer cold outbreaks, Rauber said.

“El Nino has had the predicted effect on the Atlantic Hurricane season, lowering the number of hurricanes,” he said. “We will see if it has its predicted effect on winter weather.”