As students slowly migrated back onto campus, snow surrounded them.
It wasn't exactly the remains of a blizzard, but its cold-and-icy return has stirred up bad memories for students.
Some wondered if the weather was a tease or a warning - a test - or a sign of things to come.
However, with Michigan weather, Nathan Devos said he knows better than to underestimate Mother Nature and Old Man Winter.
"I've seen a few spills and crashes before on this stuff," said the anthropology sophomore. "Last year, I saw a kid rush out the door to make it to an 8 a.m. final and he slipped on the ice."
But Devos said the student showed perseverance.
"He hurt his hip but still limped to his final."
The snow responsible for greeting students to the new year at MSU was the product of a downfall from Thursday. Most of it melted before the weekend; though the city of East Lansing was ready for it.
After Thursday's moderate snowfall, the roads on campus and all over the city were covered.
Plow crews from the Public Works Department started working around the clock beginning early Thursday evening and had every road cleared by noon the next day.
The city has a quarter of a million dollar budget to clear snow, public service administrator Angela Mabin said.
In preparation for more this semester, city trucks were serviced and the department received another 200 tons of salt Friday.
In winters past, students weren't so lucky, as major snow storms came and went, which created many problems for students headed to class and into the dorms.
"I remember during finals week two years ago we had 2 feet of snow on the ground," said communication junior Melissa Miller.
She offers advice to students experiencing their first winter at MSU.
"People were trying to ride their bike in it, which isn't a good idea. It's also a bad idea for girls to wear high heels, just make sure you wear layers. Also, it's a good idea to attend class on bad days because you might get extra credit."
Students won't need to unpack their snow pants just yet to trudge through 2 feet of snow.
As the semester's first week of classes begin, only a few light snowfalls are expected.
The best chances for snow, according to National Weather Service meteorologist John Laurens, will be cold showers expected to come later in the week.
