By Morgan Wolfe and Sam Schaust/Murphy News Service

Tuesday’s snow has passed, and Thursday’s frigid sub-zero temperatures will linger until Friday — but the promise of warmer spring weather lies just ahead for next week.

For some students at the University of Minnesota, the winter of 2014-2015 ranks among their least favorites.

That’s the case for Marcus Carrigan, a journalism student in his senior year. Throughout the cold season, Carrigan said he has practiced long-distance marathon running despite the temperature outdoors.

“Just last weekend I ran 16 miles when it was below zero out,” Carrigan said. “When I finished I had frostbite on my face, like my skin was peeling off. It wasn’t as bad as this other girl I was with though. Her right earlobe had completely swollen up like a ping pong ball.”

Others haven’t found the weather to be so harsh.

“It’s nothing like last year,” Tori Hoeppner said. She’s an environmental science major in her junior year. “I’m from a small town just outside of Milwaukee and I didn’t know winters could be like that short of living in Antarctica.”

March 2014 saw intermittent snowfall statewide. On two separate incidents, 10 or more inches accumulated, piling up more than  110-plus days with continuous snow cover.

Minnesotans were not surprised by Tuesday’s snowfall, considering the state’s weather historically varies wildly in March.

The good news? Warmer air is heading toward the Twin Cities this weekend as high temperatures will land in the upper 30 degrees, KSTP Meteorologist Dave Dahl said.

The little bit of snow that landed Tuesday will melt by the end of the weekend and high temperatures will jump up into the 40s and 50s degrees next week as many U students prepare to head south for spring break during the school week of March 16-20 and even warmer temps elsewhere.

“March is the changeable time of the year when you need to be prepared for just about anything,” Dahl said.

Reporters Morgan Wolfe and Sam Schaust are studying journalism at the University of Minnesota.