Kalli Heimsness decided to take a nap Monday — outside.

By 3:30 p.m., as the temperature neared its high of 56 degrees, Heimsness, sophomore in apparel merchandising, design and production, was waking up from her nap on a bench near the Four Seasons Fountain at the Memorial Union.

“At 8 a.m., I was wearing a sweat shirt, and I knew it was going to be gorgeous by noon,” she said.

Heimsness said if she’d had the opportunity, she would have gone home to change into flip-flops.

Harry Hillaker, state climatologist, said although Monday felt unusually warm for people walking around, the higher temperatures are not atypical for this time of year.

According to the National Weather Service Web site, the high for Monday was 56 degrees at 3:56 p.m.

This temperature was about 20 degrees above average, but Hillaker said it didn’t reach a record.

He said on Feb. 14, 1967, the temperature reached 63 degrees in Ames.

Emily Sukup said Monday’s warm weather was her encouragement to walk to class instead of taking the bus.

Sukup, freshman in pre-business, said she’s going to enjoy the warm air and sunny skies while they last.

“It got me out a little more today,” she said. “I love it, but it’s sort of a tease.”

Sukup said she knows once she is used to the warm temperatures, it will get cold again.

“Friday was gorgeous,” she said. “And then Sunday and Monday were freezing. I’ll be really depressed if it gets cold again. I just won’t want to go to class — it decreases the motivation.”

The high temperatures aren’t expected to stick around for long.

The National Weather Service forecast a high around 40 degrees for Tuesday, with a slight chance for rain and snow before noon. Wednesday’s high is forecast at 31 degrees.