Posted Wednesday March 20, 2013 --- 6:45 p.m.

If you're tired of winter you're not alone. Even though you're tired of winter that doesn't mean that winter is tired. Part of the problem is our snow. It may actually be responsible for our below average temps.

Jonathan Martin says, " The extent of snow cover over North America is extremely unusual for this time of year and it tends to keep the air a little bit cold. "

Martins is the Chair of the UW's Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Department. He says there are other reasons for our chillier than normal temps. Some of them occur yearly, others like our snow cover are specific to this year.

When we see spring depends how you define spring. Martin says it's spring when the snow has melted, most of the moisture from the melted snow has evaporated and temps have returned to their near seasonal averages.

" It's going to be a while it seems to me because we've got a cold week ahead of us this week which will mitigate against melting the snow."

Normally this is also the time of year severe weather takes center stage. According to severe weather specialist Carlos Tucker when spring does arrive there is a good chance we could have a fairly active season. He says one of the big contributing factors is the jet stream.

" We've had a pretty active jet stream in the last couple of weeks driving just about every winter storm over the top of Madison," says Tucker. " So if that remains in effect as we make our way into spring then we've got a pretty good shot at seeing some significant weather events. "