NOAA National Weather Service's weather map as of Thursday morning. (NOAA)

The storms moved Northeast Wednesday night through passage of the Upper Ohio Valley, heading toward northern Pennsylvania, upstate New York and some inland New England states.

Already the powerful storm, described as a low-end blizzard, has wreaked havoc throughout the country, claiming six lives and forcing hundreds of flight cancellations Wednesday to contribute to the 1,600 canceled flights total. Tornadoes in the gulf region popped up, while many in the Southeast saw severe thunderstorms.

The storm is expected to bypass the large metropolitan cities of New York, Philadelphia and Boston.

Read the full story at the Wall Street Journal; for updates from the National Weather Service click here.

Reach Executive Producer Amanda Martinez here.