[6] The storm produced freezing rain and snow to the affected areas which caused massive damage to electric power transmission and trees.

[11] The associated warm front, which ran from Texas, met a cold air mass in eastern Canada, where large amounts of snow fell.

[4][12] The front gradually extended toward Atlantic Canada during the night of 20–21 December, affecting extreme Southern Quebec and later the Maritimes.

[13] By mid-day on 21 December, an upper-level low had developed in central Texas, and this began to draw moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.

While moving to the northeast, the storm dumped heavy snow and ice over parts of the Upper Midwest and Michigan Peninsula through 21 December.

[15] The storm complex continued to produce ice and snow in the northern parts of New England and Canada, before finally weakening and dissipating late on 23 December.

The storm complex was also responsible for producing a small but damaging tornado outbreak that occurred from 20 to 21 December, most of which occurred on 21 December, due to the fact that supercell thunderstorms were able to pop up, and eventually coalesced into a squall line later the same day along the system's cold front, as it tracked towards the East Coast.

[37] As the predicted possible ice storm was heading towards the northeastern United States, utility workers were preparing for the event.

[41] Hydro One, an electricity company that serves mostly rural areas of Ontario, reported over 600,000 power outages at the height of the storm.

In Trenton, just east of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), there was a reported 3 cm (1.2 in) of ice accumulation on the ground.

The ice accumulation across southern and eastern Ontario was severe enough to cause widespread power outages because of fallen trees and branches.

The first wave of freezing rain began on 20 December; it coated the city in a significant but manageable quantity of ice.

In addition to Hydro One, crews were called in from Ottawa, Windsor and Michigan and Manitoba to help restore power to the city by the New Year.

West of Toronto, crews were called in from Goderich, Niagara Region, Tillsonburg, St. Thomas, Essex, Guelph, Haldimand County and Oakville.

Residents of Toronto who could not afford to replace food spoiled by the blackout could pick up the cards at Ontario Works offices from 31 December 2013 to 3 January 2014.

[48] On 22 December 2013, the Toronto Transit Commission suspended streetcar services for most of the day because of thick ice on the overhead wires.

[49] The storm affected Quebec, bringing wind gusts measured at 85 km/h (53 mph) and snow accumulations of up to 30 cm (12 in).

Accumulations of freezing rain of up to 3 cm (1.2 in) were reported over Montérégie and Eastern Townships regions in the extreme south of the province.

[51] The storm system moved eastwards from Ontario towards the Atlantic provinces, creating delays at major airports in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and New Brunswick.

[57] On 22 December, the storm also brought record warm temperatures to New York City and the tri state area.

[62][63] In Jefferson County, New York, officials declared a state of emergency after significant damage affected the area.

[66] On 3 April 2014, the Federal Emergency Management Agency declined a request from governor Paul LePage, in funding disaster support to Maine.

Clearing streets and sidewalks was prioritized, before attention was shifted to cleaning debris from city parks on 23 January.

[72] Residents were told that while the city would pick up debris that fell on private property, homeowners were responsible for ensuring the material was piled at the end of their driveways for municipal employees to collect.

[74] Haines told critics who argued that Toronto's power distribution system should be moved underground that the project would cost CA$15 billion.