[15] At 10:16 am CST (1616 UTC), the high risk area was extended farther northeast to include western Kentucky, northwestern Mississippi, the Missouri Bootheel, West Tennessee, and Southern Illinois.

[17][18] Early on the morning of February 5, a squall line developed across eastern Texas northward into Missouri and moved east towards the high risk area.

[13] Ahead of the squall line, the cap took longer than expected to break, but when it finally did in the late afternoon hours, numerous supercell thunderstorms quickly formed across Arkansas and southern Missouri.

[23] On February 6, a slight risk of severe weather was issued for much of the eastern United States from Pennsylvania to the Florida Panhandle as the squall line raced eastward ahead of the cold front.

[25] Farther north, snow and freezing rain, at times heavy, continued from Iowa to Quebec until February 7 as the center of the system moved slowly out of the area.

The tornado tracked into Pope County, rapidly intensifying to EF3 strength as it slammed into Lucky Landing, a marina at Lake Atkins where multiple vehicles, boats, and mobile homes were destroyed, and one woman was killed.

[28] Northeast of Atkins, the tornado toppled metal truss towers, destroyed chicken houses, and heavily damaged a large church and gym.

[30][31] The tornado intensified to EF4 strength as it entered Van Buren County and tore through the south edge of Clinton, killing three people in the vicinity.

Hundreds of cattle were killed in this area, and a Jeep was stripped down to its frame and tires and found wrapped around the stump of a large tree that was snapped.

The Hardy Bottling Company facility was also damaged, which released 120,000 pounds (54,000 kg) of anhydrous ammonia into the atmosphere, although no public health impacts were reported.

[46] Continuing northeast, the tornado weakened to EF1 strength and struck the Hickory Ridge Mall, resulting in total collapse of a large wall and much of the roof at the Sears department store.

Numerous trees and power poles were snapped along much of the tornado's path through Southaven and Memphis, and electricity supply to about 65,000 customers was briefly cut.

[43][48] Shelby County Election Commission administrator James Johnson stated the weather did not interfere with Super Tuesday primary voting.

This new circulation produced a tornado that touched down at the Union University campus in Jackson, almost immediately intensifying into a violent EF4 and causing tremendous damage.

Additional damage was noted at Northside High School, at the Jackson Oaks Senior Living Complex, and in the Walnut Trace subdivision as well.

[57][58] Just after 9:00 p.m. CST (0300 UTC), a supercell that had spawned tornadoes over northern Mississippi as well as a deadly EF4 in Hardin County, Tennessee, moved to the northeast over Nashville.

[62] After the supercell moved through Nashville and the environment became favorable again,[59] a tornado touched down to the southwest of Castalian Springs in Sumner County, Tennessee, just after 10:00 p.m. CST (0400 UTC).

The 19th century Wynnewood Inn, a national historical landmark and stagecoach stop, suffered major damage to its second floor and grounds during the storm.

[63] 11-month old Castalian Springs resident Kyson Stowell survived being thrown from his family's home and carried through the air by the tornado as the structure was completely destroyed.

[65][66][4][67] Crossing into Macon County, the tornado regained EF3 intensity as it struck the western and northern sections of Lafayette, resulting in widespread, major destruction in the area.

Surveyors observed major damage to a large, expensive brick home that was built unanchored on a very weak, unreinforced cinder block foundation.

Thirteen people from an adjacent trailer park took shelter in the basement of one of the frame homes that was destroyed, and were trapped by debris for up to 30 minutes before being rescued.

Past Gamaliel, the tornado struck a subdivision and damaged several homes at that location before moving through rural areas towards Tompkinsville, snapping and uprooting numerous large trees along the way.

[78] Extensive damage surveys by the National Weather Service office in Nashville confirmed that all 22 deaths along the path (which was revised downward from 24 due to double-counting)[79] were caused by a single long-track EF3 tornado.

[81] Individual supercell storms began to develop ahead of the squall line along the Alabama–Mississippi border due to the strengthening of the upper-level jet stream.

[90][91][92][93] The same low pressure systems that caused the tornado outbreak also spawned a significant snowstorm from the Central Plains to the western Great Lakes where winter storm warnings were issued.

[26][97] In Toronto, two waves of moderate to heavy snow accompanied by thunder and lightning, along with ice pellets, brought up to 14 inches (36 cm) of accumulated winter precipitation on February 6 and 7.

[103] On February 6, numerous schools, colleges, government buildings, churches, businesses, and shopping malls were forced to close throughout southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois due to the inclement weather.

[111] The American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the United Way and other charitable groups also quickly mobilized volunteers to assist survivors in the aftermath across the regions affected.

[113] The National Football League's Tennessee Titans along with the Mayor's Office of Emergency Management of Nashville organized a donation drive during the weekend of February 9 at LP Field.