Spring may be right around the corner, but one weather forecaster is predicting a slow warm up and additional winter weather, which will result in more weather-related insurance claims.

AccuWeather.com Chief Long-Range Forecaster and Expert Senior Meteorologist Joe Bastardi issued his forecast last week, stating that it reflected a "reluctant spring in areas that have had the hardest winter." He said that more winter weather is on the way for the Northeast, as a negative North Atlantic Oscillation Pattern (NOA) is "notorious this time of year." According to Bastardi, a negative NAO leads to storminess along the eastern seaboard, something confirmed over the weekend and early this week when a snowstorm slammed the East Coast, including Washington, D.C.

Winter weather claims are expected to be the worst in the Midwest and Northeast, including areas ranging from Minnesota to Chicago and from Boston to Youngstown, Ohio, which have had the worst of winter so far due to a persistent storm track that has changed very little all winter. Bastardi also predicts a dry pattern for much of spring in the Southeast, which could have a negative impact on crop insurance claims.