Unseasonably warm weather Monday made for an ironic end to a three-day weekend that rode into town on the coattails of a bone-chilling cold spell.

Monday’s high was 45 degrees, a far cry from Thursday’s 70-below wind chills, which forced Iowa State officials to call off morning classes.

The warm weather, however, is not expected to stick around for long. The unseasonably mild temperatures are only expected to last through tomorrow.

Today’s highs will range in the mid-40s. But highs for the rest of the week will likely drop below the freezing mark.

Precipitation isn’t likely this week.

Iowa State students did apparently take advantage of the warmer weather Monday, a day set aside to honor the slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

“I saw a lot of people walking. Normally, you would not see that,” said Amy Ducey, a freshman in computer science. “I saw people riding their bikes again and cleaning their cars. I have been getting out and walking without a coat.”

Cleaning the harmful salt and sand off cars, courtesy of a harsh winter that’s not about to throw in the towel for a few months, was a popular activity.

The sunny afternoon gave students a chance to shed their many layers of clothing and once again move about freely outside.

“I didn’t wear a coat. It was nice not worrying about freezing,” said James Henry, a freshman in pre-architecture.

The nice weather also helped out runners and joggers, who have been forced into the Rec Center the past few days.

Runners were seen all over campus and throughout Ames enjoying the great outdoors.

Michael Krull, a freshman in pre-architecture, said he spent the warm weekend catching up with homework and reading. “I have been thinking about running tonight,” Krull said.

But not everyone was happy.

Angie Mathews, a junior in marketing, said some of the women of Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority had big plans for a game of snow football Monday. They called off the game when the fluffy white snow turned to muddy slush.