Is nice weather to blame for the current TV ratings slump? Since the Olympics, prime-time ratings for cable and broadcasters have slipped, prompting Nielsen to blame the decline on factors including nice spring weather, USA Today reports.

Overall television usage has declined 2.6%, while viewing among women in the 18- to 34-year-old demographic has slumped almost 6%. Nielsen says the fine weather as well as less original programming compared with last year, when the February sweeps trailed into March, are partly to blame, the article says.

The year so far has been a mixed bag, with live events such as the Olympics posting gains or achieving record ratings, while some long-in-the-tooth dramas such as "CSI" have posted double-digit ratings declines.

And while cable’s spring drop has been less than broadcasts, and ratings should pick up with the May sweeps, the acticle concludes, "Though the drop is moderating, it could result in the first full season of reduced viewing in recent history."