Michigan weather is known to be unpredictable.
It's something many begin to accept after years of being duped by conditions that change from freezing with snow to sunny and warm within hours.
The Jekyll and Hyde changes in the state's weather Monday were no exception.
Faisal Alrsheed, a 19-year-old international student from Saudi Arabia, is adjusting to Michigan's quickly changing temperatures.
"I did see lots of snow at home, but only in my refrigerator," said the chemistry freshman while lounging outside of Espresso Royale Caffe, 527 E. Grand River Ave., on Monday afternoon. "The weather in Michigan has been so weird this winter.
"In November and December it was so cold, and I had expected the weather to be worse in January and February."
Alrsheed admitted to a case of spring fever due to the warm temperatures Monday.
"The weather was so nice today, I didn't want to waste it in class," he said.
Students and East Lansing residents could be seen enjoying a break from wintery weather Monday afternoon while they lounged in the sun and walked along Grand River Avenue. But the cold weather relief will not last long.
Monday's high temperature of 68 degrees was expected to drop almost 40 degrees — with a low of 29 by Monday night, according to the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids. The quickly changing conditions were the result of a warm front moving north through southern Michigan followed by a strong cold front moving in from the west.
Storm systems moving through the state, along with the warm front, produced hail 2 inches in diameter in Kalamazoo and tornado watches throughout southern Michigan, according to the weather service. No tornadoes were sighted in the state.
"Conditions were favorable for a tornado, but we dodged a bullet today," said Greg Smith, a meteorologist for the weather service in White Lake.
Tornado season usually starts in mid to late April and peaks in June, but tornadoes can occur any month of the year, Smith said.
The weather service predicted snow showers with stinging 46 mph wind gusts Monday night.
East Lansing police Sgt. Jeff Murphy said the department monitors the roads and will call salt trucks when the road conditions become poor.
"We try to call them right as the roads are getting slippery," Murphy said. "It's usually in the middle of the night, and it takes them about 20 minutes to get started."
Murphy said drivers should remember to be careful on bridges and side roads because they are the first to get icy.
The drastic change in temperatures and weather conditions might seem strange, but it is not uncommon.
When there is a transition from cold weather to warm weather it isn't rare to see large fluctuations in temperature, said John Laurens, a meteorologist for the weather service in Grand Rapids. These large fluctuations in temperature are typical for most of the country, according to the weather service.
The weather service predicts temperatures to return closer to winter norms for the remainder of the week with temperatures reaching highs into the 30s.
But the warm Monday weather was a welcome taste of the season to come.
"It's a glimpse of what it's going to be like in the spring," said Jennifer Passamani, an advertising senior. "You're excited, but you know its not going to stay this way."
