[20] The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officially documented US$26.5 billion in damage in the United States from the winter storm.

[25] Over the next couple of days, the storm began to develop as it entered the Southern United States and moved into Texas.

[26] From February 13 to 14, a second, much larger trough developed over Central United States, aided by a southward shift from the polar vortex, while the winter storm moved into Texas.

The trough became fully developed by February 15, channeling significant amounts of moisture into the winter storm and also contributing to a historic cold wave that affected most of the Central and Eastern United States.

[25] On February 15, the system developed a new surface low off the coast of the Florida Panhandle, as the storm turned northeastward and expanded in size.

[27] On February 16, the storm developed another low-pressure center to the north as the system grew more organized, while moving towards the northeast.

[3][30][25] On February 17, the storm's secondary low dissipated as the system approached landfall on Newfoundland, intensifying in the process.

[34][35] On February 20, the storm developed a second-low pressure area and gradually began to weaken, as it moved northwestward towards Iceland.

[17] The storm was initially reported to have caused 70 deaths across the United States,[43][44][9] later updated to at least 276 people dead, 246 of them in Texas.

[45] The system was estimated by NOAA to have cost $21 billion in damage in the United States, making it the costliest winter storm in U.S. history at the time.

[56] 9.9 inches (25 cm) of snow fell in Boise, Idaho, during this same time period, making this the largest recorded two-day snowfall event for that city since 1996.

[58] In New Mexico, the storm system brought a combination of heavy snow, strong winds, and bitterly cold temperatures.

On February 14, a Blizzard Warning was issued for the Albuquerque metro area due to strong winds exceeding 50 miles per hour (80 km/h), cold temperatures, and blowing snow.

Interstate Highway 40 through the Albuquerque metro area was closed for several hours due to numerous motor vehicle crashes caused by the icy conditions.

[62] For the first time on record, the National Weather Service (through its 13 regional offices serving Texas and adjoining portions of Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas and Louisiana) issued Winter Storm Warnings for all 254 counties in the state.

[13][12] Two of the electricity reliability commissions servicing the Southern U.S., the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), ordered rolling blackouts for 14 states amid the frigid temperatures, in an attempt to manage the strain on the power grid and prevent widespread, long-duration blackouts.

The controlled outages were initiated after the Southwest Power Pool declared Level 3 Emergency Energy Alerts on both February 15 and 16; the SPP and ERCOT faced criticism by government officials and residents in the region for the limited advanced notice of the outages, and for not outlining the specific areas serviced by SPP partner utilities that would be affected.

[68] The rolling blackouts led to calls by Governor Greg Abbott for the Texas Legislature to conduct investigations into preparations and decisions undertaken by ERCOT in advance of the storm.

[81][82] In contrast, the Oklahoma City Thunder opted to hold their February 16 home game against the Portland Trail Blazers as scheduled, even as most other buildings in Downtown Oklahoma City decided to turn off lighting and electrical equipment overnight to reduce strain on the city's power grid; the NBA team stated that Chesapeake Energy Arena would take steps to conserve power while the game was being played, including turning off concourse lighting, video panels, exterior signage and most outdoor lighting.

[97][98][99] At least 10 people in Texas died in weather-related incidents since February 14, including a mother and a child due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

[100] The storm was also partially responsible for a nationwide chicken shortage, due to the freezing temperatures, widespread power and water outages that lasted days.

Still rapidly strengthening, the tornado entered Grissettown and struck the Ocean Ridge Plantation subdivision at its peak intensity of high-end EF3.

The tornado then abruptly weakened but reached its maximum width as it crossed US 17 between Grissettown and Cool Run as it exited Ocean Ridge Plantation at EF1 strength, rolling a double-wide mobile home on the north side of the highway.

As the tornado continued northeast, it reintensifed to EF2 strength, causing major damage to several homes and snapping hundreds of trees.

[12] Temperatures as low as −18 °C (0 °F) were recorded, as shortages of natural gas led to blackouts in Nuevo León, Coahuila, Tamaulipas, and Chihuahua along the border with Texas.

[124] At least 14 people died in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua; Río Bravo and Matamoros, Tamaulipas; and Monterrey, Nuevo León; due to the winter storm.

[7][19] President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) said on February 17 that Mexico would increase the use of oil and coal to produce electricity, as well as purchase three shiploads of natural gas to deal with power shortages.

[132] In an April 2024 ruling by the Fourteenth Court of Appeals in Texas, a three-judge panel in Houston granted defendants known as transmission and distribution utilities (TDUs) dismissals of some causes of action filed by homeowners and other plaintiffs, but ruled that plaintiffs' claims for gross negligence and intentional misconduct could move forward.