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Is The Worst Of Winter Over?

BOSTON (CBS) - Have we seen the last of the winter of 2011-2012?

Maybe.

Last week's two-day winter storm might just have been winter's last punch.

Check: Current Conditions | Weather Map Center | Interactive Radar 

If this winter were a prize fighter, let's face it, it wasn't a very good one.

It delivered a sucker punch early (late October snowstorm), a few weak jabs in January and February and mustered up everything it had left last week.

We obviously cannot officially declare this winter down for the count, it is after all only the first week of March.

In a typical year, March averages about 8 inches of snow.

Just last year we had accumulating snowfall on March 31st and April 1st.

And who could forget March 31st of 1997, the start of the infamous April Fool's Day storm when Boston got a whopping 25.4 inches of snow.

We all know that anything is possible here in New England in the springtime, but a late season snowfall just does not appear likely this year.

First of all, the mild pattern that we have been in since last Fall is not going away anytime soon.

February was the 8th straight above normal temperature month, dating back to last July.

The National Weather Service just recently released its outlook for March 2012 and it looks like more of the same.

And take a look at the 8-14 day temperature forecast - the entire eastern half of the country is shaded in a high probability of above normal temperatures.

Not only that, but in case you hadn't heard, we could challenge a record high temperature this week on Thursday.

The latest 7-day forecast shows 50s starting Wednesday and 60s by Thursday.

The record for Thursday currently stands at 67, set back in 1995 and we have a legit shot at matching or beating it.

The weather pattern over the next few weeks features a fairly persistent Bermuda High, normally something we would see in the middle of summer.

A Bermuda High is essentially just that, an area of high pressure which sets up near or just south of Bermuda over the open Atlantic and pumps southwest winds around its backside over the entire eastern United States.

This draws warm temperatures all the way from the Gulf of Mexico, northward into New England.

If this weather feature holds ground for any length of time, and as of now it appears as though it will, we could see multiple warm weather records broken this month.

Spring fever will certainly be in full effect this week, with temperatures near 70 in the forecast, Daylight Saving Time starting this weekend and only two weeks until the Vernal Equinox.

Winter may just be down for the count.

You can follow Terry on Twitter at @TerryWBZ.

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