Weather Unseasonably Warm, Students Flock the Square

With unseasonably warm temperatures reaching highs in the 70s on Thursday and Friday—more than 15 degrees warmer than Cambridge’s early November average—Harvard might have removed its multicolored chairs from the Yard prematurely.

With guitars, bikes, and class assignments in tow, faculty, students, and Cambridge residents flocked the Science Center Plaza and Harvard Square on Thursday and Friday to enjoy what could be the last warm days leading up to New England’s notoriously harsh winter months.

“Every day that it’s warm, I think this is the last nice day before winter,” said Music professor Thomas F. Kelly, who went for a bike ride in shorts along the river on Thursday.

Zoe A. Kessler ’17 also said she was taking advantage of the weather to enjoy one of her favorite pastimes: The guitar.

“I’ve been playing outside this week,” said Kessler, an inactive Crimson arts editor who was sitting at a table in the Science Center Plaza with a friend on Friday.

Students taking advantage of the warm weather play spike ball in Harvard Yard. By Michelle M. Ng

And for those who would be partaking in outdoor activities regardless of the weather, the unexpected warmth was a welcome surprise.

Denise Acosta ’16, a member of the sailing team, did not have to wear layers during practices last week, as she typically does at this time of the year. The warm weather has drawn her outside more than is usual, she said.

“Instead of studying indoors,” she said, “I go outside, or I go and get coffee with friends.”

But not all students could enjoy the warm weather. Jae S. Lee ’19 said he was disappointed he could not spend time outside due to a heavy course load. “If I didn’t have CS50, I’d definitely be going outside,” he said.

Although Harvard affiliates and Cambridge residents said they appreciated the uncharacteristically warm temperatures, Sebastian S. Kimberk, as senior at the local Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, expressed concern about the weather’s ecological implications.