Meteorologists in the Northeast know better than to put their water-resistant footwear away in the last "official" days of winter. I had to throw out my favorite winter boots last week because they ripped due to over-usage.

I would be lying if I said that those boots were used so much because of the weather. In fact, only 6.4 inches of snow has fallen in Central Park since October, which is well below the yearly average of 29.2" This latest storm could bump up this winter's total in New York to 11" -- and that's being generous!

Nor'easters are not as uncommon in mid-March as you might think. The Northeastern United States and our neighbors (neighbours) to the north in Atlantic Canada see nor'easters each year, most often in the winter and early spring, but also sometimes during autumn.

The Storm of the Century also known as the 93 Superstorm was a huge system that brought snow as far South as Alabama to the tune of 16"! It occured in mid-March - specifically between March 12-March 15 - with its main impact on the eastern US, though it reached as far south as Cuba where hurricane force winds produced extreme storm surges.

Today's storm will not be nearly as dramatic, but it doesn't take much to cause a ripple effect of travel headaches on the roads and at the airports. Already, Jetblue has cancelled 230 flights and there are numerous delays at many major airports in the Northeast, including JFK, Philadelphia and Newark.

What can we take out of this late winter storm besides wet footwear along the I-95 and snow shovels in Northern New England and Central and Western New York? How about a reminder that Mother Nature does not follow official beginnings and endings of new seasons. As for me, I'm struggling with what to put on my feet tonight since I threw out my favorite boots last week.