NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. chain store sales rose modestly last week as spending rebounded following the winter storms. This marked the first increase since Jan. 25, but it was not enough to help the full month, according to one report Tuesday.

Sales among the nation's largest chain stores increased by 0.2 percent in the week ended March 1, after declining 0.8 percent in the preceding week, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi and UBS Warburg said in a joint report.

Sales compared to last year fell 1.0 percent, compared with a 1.9 percent year-to-year drop reported in the previous week.

"A partial recovery from the devastating East Coast snowstorms helped to modestly lift sales," the report said.

The BTM/UBSW Weekly Chain Store Sales Snapshot is compiled from a group of major discount, department and chain stores across the country that report their weekly results. The BTM/UBSW index measures sales growth with the year 1977 equaling 100.

Separately, Instinet Research said in its weekly Redbook report that chain store sales decreased during the fourth week of February because of severe winter weather.

Sales at major U.S. chain stores fell 0.2 percent in the week ended March 1 compared with the same week a year ago, the report said.

Sales declined 2.0 percent in the four weeks ended March 1, compared with the previous month,

"The bad weather during the previous week Presidents Day sales hindered necessary sales momentum to clear remaining fall and winter inventories," the report said.

The Redbook Average is compiled from a sample of general merchandise retailers representing about 9,000 stores. Same-store sales measure revenue at stores open at least a year.