The Narrator is a quiet college senior during the 1968 flashback and a married publishing professional in the 1976 present day. He lives in a dorm with a roommate and avoids political affiliation during a time of intense student activism. He harbors a deep fascination with the foggy false spring that blankets the campus, viewing the weather with romantic awe rather than fear.

Gale is an art major at New Sharon Teachers' College and the initial victim of the crimes that strike the campus. After her death, she becomes the subject of endless campus rumors, with students claiming to have known her intimately despite offering contradictory details about her life.

Carl is a college student and Gale Cerman's boyfriend. He is initially suspected and arrested by the police following her death, but authorities quickly release him when a second murder occurs while he is in custody.

Ann is a highly visible and popular student at the college. She is a former Miss New England pageant winner and serves as the editor of the school newspaper. Her death shatters any illusion of safety on campus, proving that the danger is escalating.

The Roommate shares a dorm with the Narrator during their senior year at the college. He is knowledgeable about local Maine folklore, introducing the concept of a false spring that precedes harsh winter weather. He maintains a lighthearted demeanor, occasionally using dark humor to cope with the stressful campus atmosphere.

Hanson is a sociology graduate student at the college. The police arrest him primarily because he cannot remember his whereabouts on the nights of the crimes. Like Carl Amalara, he is ultimately released when the violence continues during his confinement.

Adelle is a working-class woman who is largely unknown to the general student body. She works the grueling evening shift at the campus dining hall, known as the Grinder. Her death demonstrates that the killer targets community members beyond the student population.

Marsha is a student who lives off-campus. Her presence on the college grounds after curfew baffles her peers, adding a layer of tragic mystery to her death during the foggy night. The narrator observes that she was seeking something unknown in the fog.

The Narrator's Wife lives with her husband and child in 1976. She represents his current, settled domestic life, which contrasts sharply with his chaotic college memories. Her questions about his recent whereabouts prompt his deep reflection on the past.