By Jose Serrano (staff@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Mar 01, 2015 10:40 PM EST
Tags winter storm sparta, winter storm thor, winter storm thor forecast, winter storm 2015, New York City, Los Angeles, chicago, winter storm forecast, chicago weather, new york weather, los angeles weather, snow chicago, snow los angeles, snow new york

At this point, the only way to escape snow flurries is by booking a flight to Florida.

Including Hawaii and Alaska, 49 of 50 states have begun March with snowfall. Area covered by slush is at 63.4 percent, over 20 percent higher than last month according to the National Operational Remote Sensing Center.

Icy weather caused over 3,500 flights were cancelled across the country, including nearly 1,000 coming and going through Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport.

Winter Storm Sparta has led transportation officials across the east coast to warn of dangerous driving conditions. In New York City, the National Weather Service's winter weather advisory lasting through 7 a.m. Monday prompted the city's department of sanitation to ready snow plows and 500 salt spreaders.

New Jersey officials reduced the speed limit on the Garden State Highway and New Jersey Turnpike to 35 due to icy road conditions. Travelers at nearby John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport have already seen flight delays of at least two hours.

New York City's third coldest February since 1869 concluded with an average monthly temperature of 23.9 degrees. The coldest February ever recorded came in 1934 when the average temperature was 19.9 degrees.

By the New Yorkers adjust to warmer, 40 degree temperatures on Monday, a second storm - Winter Storm Thor - will have made its way to the northeast. Rain, warm air, and some snow is expected through Thursday.

Thor dropped between 2-4 inches of snow at a ski resort in Wrightwood, Calif.; located about 80 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. A second, weaker storm will touch the Southern California area Monday afternoon and evening.

As of Sunday night, Thor's snow totals across the Southwest are 32 inches in Wolf Creek Pass, Colo., 12 inches in Parks, Ariz., and 21 inches at Taos Ski Area in New Mexico; the latter partially including snow from Winter Storm Sparta.

Record low temperatures set across the Midwest cultivated with a 131-year-old record broken in Chicago where O'Hare International Airport reached 10 degrees below zero early Saturday morning, capping the coldest February on record since 1875 and third-snowiest with just under 27 inches of snow.

It was also the Windy City's second-coldest day since March 4, 1873, according to the NWS. Chicago will see freezing rain on Tuesday before Thor takes cold conditions away from the Ohio Valley and into the Mid-Atlantic region.

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