[5][6] The storm, a Category 5 "Extreme" one on the Regional Snowfall Index scale, was the first winter weather event to rank as such since the North American blizzard of 1996.

[8] In Oklahoma, a state of emergency was declared after blizzard conditions killed 3 people and dropped 19 inches (48 cm) of snow.

Rochester, Minnesota, in the northern half of the storm, saw rain with temperatures in the mid 30s Fahrenheit (~2°C) while snow was falling just to the west in a 1,300-mile (2,100 km) band stretching from Canada south to at least Dallas, Texas, giving that region its first "White Christmas" since 1929.

[13] Heavy rain in parts of the Midwest prompted the National Weather Service to issue Flood Warnings for many areas.

[1] Freezing rain fell across Iowa and Illinois, affecting travel to and from O'Hare International Airport.