Many Iowa State students claim their tan lines, those precious reminders of spring break in the warm sun of the South, are fading with the passing of every cold, cloudy hour.

The Iowa spring, which began Thursday, is far from ideal for those who cherish constant sunshine and warm temperatures. It’s more like a roller coaster of blustery highs in the 30s to the beautiful 70s.

But if students can get through today, they will be in for at least a few days of blue skies and a boost in temperatures, said meteorologist Brad Edwards of Channel 5 News.

Monday, however, was a different story. The skies opened on campus with a mix of bitter cold rain, a few snowflakes and even a little hail, just for good measure. For the first time since last fall, the traditional college-student corps, armed with umbrellas big and small, made its way through campus.

But meteorologists say that kind of nastiness will be a thing of the past — at least for a little while.

Highs in the lower 50s are expected to bring with them sunshine Wednesday. Look for 60s or 70s on Thursday.

And today? Still icky.

Cool winds may hit 30 mph, while temperatures aren’t expected to edge much beyond 40 degrees. A little rain or snow can be expected in the morning.

Edwards said Iowans are definitely not clear of winter weather just yet. “Going by history, sometimes we see snow through the middle of April,” he said. “On March 24, 1912, Kansas City, Mo., received 25 inches of snow, the most ever for any time of the year, and that is quite a ways south of Ames.”

Any snow that falls in Iowa from now to the end of spring will probably be heavy because of the moisture in the air, but it won’t last long.

Temperatures are chilly right now because central Iowa is on the wrong side of a storm front.

“A week from now we may be in the 70s, and Minnesota will be on the cold side of a storm front,” Edwards said. “The weather is very changeable.”

That, local armchair weather experts say, may help explain the ever-changing student attitude this time of year. Students say Mother Nature shouldn’t tease people by shelling out summer temperatures one day and snow the next.

“The rain really brings down my day,” said Ryan Gross, a freshman in engineering.

“It makes me want summer to come quickly,” said Jessica Ewoldt, a sophomore in nutritional science/pre-med.