WINTER

It may already feel like Spring for most resident in the U.S., aside from those in Arizona and New Mexico who are experiencing rare winter-like snowstorms, but when exactly does spring official start? The 2012 vernal equinox, or spring equinox, is Tuesday, marking the beginning of spring and end of winter. This year, it is particularly special, with the earliest date in over a century.

It's official, winter is technically over. And the stats show that the 2011-2012 season was the second warmest winter in New York on record. At an average temperature of 40.5 degrees, this season's winter broke most records except for the 2001-2002 season, according to the Gothamist. On the contrary, the coldest winter took place in 1934, during which temperatures averaged 19.9 degrees.

A winter snow storm is headed to Boston and southern New England, according to the National Weather Service.

A Midwest winter snow storm is forecast to bury northern states in as much as a foot of snow, in a a blizzard weather forecasters are saying may be the season's worst.

Lowe's Cos , the world's second-largest home improvement chain, reported higher-than-expected quarterly sales as a warm winter prompted many homeowners to take up renovation projects that they normally save for the spring.

Allergy sufferers - hope you enjoyed the mild winter, because experts anticipate the spring allergy season will hit earlier than usual.

Strong demand for everything from paint to concrete helped Home Depot Inc report better-than-expected quarterly sales and profit as one of the warmest U.S. winters on record encouraged homeowners to take up home projects earlier than usual.

Three skiers were reportedly trapped and killed in an avalanche near the Stevens Pass area in the Cascade Mountains in rural eastern King County, Wa. on Sunday.

After a cold night, Britain woke up to a blanket of snow on Sunday.

A blizzard is expected to hit central U.S. late Thursday and into Friday, dumping at least a dozen inches of snow in the Eastern Plains region, including Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas. The area could see up to 24 inches of snow.

Quarterly earnings at U.S. chains including Abercrombie & Fitch Co and Ann Inc took a big hit from deep discounts they offered to clear out clothes stocked for snow and cold that never came.

Unseasonably warm weather across the United States forced many retailers to offer deeper-than-usual discounts to clear out coats, sweaters and boots in January, pointing to tepid sales in the typically slow post-holiday month.

Justin Hoyer and Langely McNeal stole the show at the 2102 Winter X Games, which ended yesterday. Held in Aspen, Colo., the 2012 X Games didn't fail to make headlines between injuries, controversies and records.

Shaun White wowed fans late Sunday in the superpipe final at the Winter X games. White scored the first perfect score of 100 in Winter X Games history when he completed the first perfect back-to-back double cork. The 25-year-old snowboard superstar also won his fifth consecutive gold medal of the event.

U.S. skier Langely McNeal claimed that she was disqualified from the Women's Skier X final at the X Games because of a Sarah Burke tribute on her thigh and a hairtie around her boot.

Combating dry winter hair is a yearly struggle. Cold temperatures, frigid winds, low humidity and indoor heat prove to harm locks, making them dull, dry and brittle.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for the Northeast on Friday, and the first snowfall of the season for the area is bringing with it up to five inches of snow

Most men do not use sunscreen, which can potentially heighten their risk of developing skin cancer from winter sun exposure, according to survey results released Wednesday.

A highly-anticipated snow storm hit Seattle and the surrounding area Wednesday, dumping less snow than expected on the Pacific Northwest. Check out photos from the snow storm in the Pugent Sound area.

Check out photographs of some of the highlights of the 2012 Autumn/Winter show at the Hong Kong Fashion Week...

Snowfall in the Northwest is not uncommon in winter months, but sights of huge blizzards and traffic-crippling conditions are usually more attributed to the Northeast, but just where is all the snow?