At a Glance

Winter Storm Petra left dangerous travel conditions that were blamed for four deaths.In Washington D.C., schools and federal offices were closed Wednesday because of the storm.More than 2,300 domestic flights were canceled Wednesday.

Winter Storm Petra pushed into the mid-Atlantic and Northeast Wednesday as major cities prepared for a treacherous evening commute.

The storm is being blames for at least four deaths, including a after she lost control of her vehicle on a snow Delaware road, NBC Philadelphia reported. Authorities say she lost control on a curve on State Route 1 around 1 p.m. The vehicle slid down an embankment into a retention pond, where she became trapped in the completely submerged car.

East of Manhattan, Kansas, 67-year-old Ann Marie Lochner died in a crash on roads made snowy and icy by the winter storm, according to the Associated Press. She died early Wednesday morning when she lost control of her Chevrolet Blazer and it crashed off the road, the Kansas Highway Patrol confirmed to the AP.

Two deaths were confirmed later Wednesday in the town of Pemberton, New Jersey, following a crash, Pemberton Township Police Capt. Dave Kinney told the AP. Few other details were released following the crash that occurred in the town located about 30 miles east of Philadelphia, and the victims' identities were not revealed by law enforcement.

(MORE: What We Expect from Petra)

Anticipating what officials were calling a "messy" evening rush hour, the city of Philadelphia closed city offices at 1 p.m. Wednesday. To accommodate commuters leaving early, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority said it would adjust its schedule.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted of the Wednesday, urging residents to "allow extra travel time and take mass transit when possible.”

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy also urged residents during a Wednesday press conference to leave work early if possible. On Tuesday, the governor declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm.

A pedestrian holds an umbrella while walking under light snow, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019 in Jersey City, New Jersey.

(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

In Washington D.C., where heavy snow fell Wednesday morning at Reagan National airport, government offices and schools were closed because of the storm.

"Travel anymore is not easy, so you expect the unexpected," Stacy Flye, who was attempting to catch a flight home to Florida from Reagan National, told the AP. "And you know, we knew the weather was going to be bad, but sometimes you just have to take your chances."

The city's bus system is running on a “” for the day and is operating only on major roads and streets. Metrorail trains will run every 12 minutes, allowing de-icing equipment to operate between trains carrying passengers.

But despite all the headaches, some D.C. residents were happy to see the snowfall.

“That’s why ,” California native and Georgetown University freshman John Picker told USA Today while sledding on Capitol Hill. “There might only be a couple inches, but we’ll try.”

Pennsylvania enacted a travel ban for commercial vehicles and a 45-mph speed restriction for all vehicles for Interstate 70 in Fulton County from the Maryland state line to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and on I-99 from I-80 to the turnpike. Still crashes shut down portions of the turnpike on Wednesday.

(MORE: Check the Forecast for Winter Storm Quiana)

Wednesday morning, multiple crashes were reported on Interstate 81, including a multiple-vehicle crash involving a jackknifed tractor-trailer that shut down all southbound lanes between exits 37 and 44.

From Kansas City to Minneapolis/St. Paul, Philadelphia to Baltimore and Atlantic City, schools and some government offices were closed.

In the Twin Cities, snow fell at such an intense rate Wednesday morning that all Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport runways were briefly closed. The airport operated with one working runway for much of the morning and afternoon; nearly 500 flights were delayed as a result.

Delta Air Lines for changing flights in some Northeast cities impacted by Petra. , and followed suit.

Residents and snowplows clear snow off roads and sidewalks in Omaha, Nebraska, on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019.

(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

More than Wednesday, according to FlightAware. Many of the airports with the most cancellations are in areas of the Midwest and mid-Atlantic. The greatest number of cancellations occurred at Reagan National Airport, where 42 percent of departures and 36 percent of arrivals were canceled.

Runways at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport were temporarily morning because of low visibility and the fast rate of snowfall. They were later reopened.

Amtrak announced Wednesday it between New York City and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Several cities declared snow emergencies ahead of the storm's arrival, including Norfolk, Virginia, and Sioux City, Iowa, putting parking restrictions in place on some roads to make it easier for plows to navigate. In Virginia, more than 30,000 homes and businesses were without power Wednesday evening, according to .

Tuesday's snow fell in parts of the Plains and Midwest that previously saw major travel issues during . In Omaha, public school students because of the winter storm.

Petra Dumps Heavy Snow in the Southwest

Winter Storm Petra laid down a blanket of snow on New Mexico Monday and Tuesday, closing schools and government buildings.

On Monday, the storm dumped more than a foot of snow in Flagstaff, Arizona, as well as a dusting in Las Vegas, the this month.

A motorist brushes show off a vehicle after Winter Storm Petra dumped seven inches, according to the National Weather Service, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019, in Minneapolis, setting a record for February snowfall at 30-inches. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)