Winter storm sweeps across Midwest and East Coast with 39 states expected to be affected by snow, sleet and freezing rain as 1,500 flights are canceled Snow, sleet and freezing rain is set to hit the Midwest and Northeast Wednesday The winter storm left a trail of school closures, hampered air travel and prompted officials to close federal offices in Washington D.C About 1,500 flights were canceled in and out of major airports on Wednesday Storm reached from northern Minnesota down through Missouri and east into the Mid-Atlantic region Up to 4 inches had already been measured in parts of Northern Virginia on Wednesday morning, while D.C. was hit with 2 inches In the Midwest, Omaha, Nebraska was hit with up to 5 inches of snow early Wednesday and Sioux Falls, South Dakota had experienced more than 6 inches By Emily Crane For Dailymail.com Published: 16:05 GMT, 20 February 2019 | Updated: 16:25 GMT, 20 February 2019 Viewcomments A winter storm sweeping across much of the U.S. Midwest and East Coast is set to affect 39 states and has already led to 1,500 flights being canceled across the country. Snow, sleet and freezing rain is set to hit the Midwest and Northeast on Wednesday as the winter storm left a trail of school closures, hampered air travel and prompted officials to close federal offices in Washington D.C. The storm reached from northern Minnesota down through Missouri and east into the Mid-Atlantic region. Snow, sleet and freezing rain is set to hit the Midwest and Northeast on Wednesday as a winter storm bears down. Pictured is Washington D.C. on Wednesday morning where two inches of snow had already fallen The Central Plains was hit with snow overnight but Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York and D.C. are expected to get the worst of it on Wednesday. The National Weather Service predicted the storm could bring as much as 6 inches of snow along with sleet and freezing rain. Up to four inches had already been measured in parts of Northern Virginia on Wednesday morning, while D.C. was hit with two inches. The storm forced the closing of federal agencies in Washington as well as schools in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington. The snow is forecast to turn to freezing rain and then rain before the end of the day. In the Midwest, Omaha, Nebraska (above) was hit with five inches of snow early Wednesday In the Midwest, Omaha, Nebraska was hit with up to five inches of snow early Wednesday and Sioux Falls, South Dakota had experienced more than 6 inches. About 1,500 flights were canceled in and out of major airports on Wednesday, according to Flightaware.com. Airports told passengers on social media to check their airlines for delays and cancellations. Heavy flooding rains falling on much of the Deep South on Tuesday night were expected to change over to ice and snow as the system hits the mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Wednesday. The storm is expected to affect parts of 39 states, and roughly 60 percent of the country's population is in its path. Parts of southern Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland face the highest risk of heavy ice accumulation and subsequent downed power lines and power outages. Amir Begovic walk his dog Garo in a fresh coating of snow after the winter storm on Wednesday in Omaha, Nebraska A pedestrian carries an umbrella during a snowstorm on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. on Wednesday Workers de-ice a jetBlue airplane as flight operations continue in the snow at Reagan-National Airport during a winter storm in Arlington, Virginia on Wednesday Snow falls on the White House during Wednesday's winter storm. D.C. is expected to get between two to four inches of snow Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility