A winter storm that brought snow, sleet and freezing rain to a large swath of the Midwest swept into the mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Thursday, causing treacherous travel conditions, prompting school delays and closures and potential power outages for millions of Americans.

ARLINGTON, Va. − A wall of snow, ice and rain was sweeping across the Northeast on Thursday, the first in a series of storms forecast to wallop much of the nation's northern tier over the next several days.

Snow will fall from Minnesota to Maine, with heavy amounts probably falling from Wisconsin to Massachusetts. Freezing rain and sleet will also be a big issue, especially south of Interstate 80 from Ohio through New Jersey.