The extratropical cyclone morphed into a nor'easter as it moved across the Northeast United States and Canada, producing a combination of rain and wintry precipitation, as well as strong winds.

Persistent convection from the Texas coastline to Mississippi initially inhibited the northward flow of warm, moist air and by extension limited proliferation of severe thunderstorms.

[7] A low-level jet subsequently developed along the coast of Texas and Louisiana that evening,[6] and thunderstorm clusters blossomed along the frontal boundary.

[10] In the pre-dawn hours of January 21, a mesoscale low consolidated near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at the western edge of the previously established warm front.

This led to enhanced low-level southerly flow over Mississippi and an increased risk of supercells embedded within the broader thunderstorm complex.

[14] During the early morning hours of January 22, a deadly EF3 tornado produced devastating damage and obliterated a mobile home park near Adel, Georgia, killing 11 people along its path.

[19] Later that day, a massive EF3 wedge tornado caused severe damage in and around Albany, Georgia, killing five people and destroying many homes and businesses.

Of the 42 tornadoes, 27 touched down within the county warning area of the Atlanta National Weather Service Office, the most for a two-day period.

[22] Early in the morning on January 21, a large tornado touched down northwest of Purvis in Lamar County, Mississippi, at 3:35 a.m. EST (08:35 UTC).

The tornado intensified to EF3 strength shortly after it crossed the Forrest County line and entered residential areas of southwestern Hattiesburg, where multiple well-constructed brick homes had roofs torn off and exterior walls collapsed, and an elderly woman was killed.

Multiple large, multi-story brick buildings had windows blown out, roofs ripped off, and top floor exterior walls collapsed.

[108] Past William Carey University, the tornado weakened to EF2 strength as it moved through residential areas and a mobile home park to the southeast of downtown Hattiesburg.

As the tornado impacted the eastern part of Petal, it restrengthened to EF3 intensity as multiple well-built frame homes were destroyed, some of which only had a few walls left standing.

Beyond this point, the tornado weakened back to EF2 strength as it approached the Perry County line, snapping and uprooting numerous large trees.

[112] Around 3:29 a.m. EST (08:29 UTC) on January 22,[113] what was to become a deadly and destructive tornado first touched down along SR 122 to the west-southwest of Barney in Brooks County, Georgia at EF1 intensity.

Tracking east-northeast, the tornado snapped or uprooted multiple trees and shifted a barn off of its foundation before it quickly intensified to low-end EF3 strength.

[108] Maintaining low-end EF3 intensity, the tornado passed just south of Adel and struck the Sunshine Acres mobile home park, causing tremendous damage.

[113] Following the tornado, Georgia State Patrol troopers blocked off access to the community, eventually allowing residents to return on January 24.

The tornado then entered the eastern part of Albany, and a retail building along the Liberty Expressway had cinder block exterior walls blown out, and wooden power poles were snapped.

[108] The tornado reached EF3 strength just past the Liberty Expressway as it impacted a one-story brick home, removing the roof and collapsing several exterior walls, snapping or uprooting almost all surrounding mature trees, and tossing a vehicle in the area.

Multiple anchored double-wide trailers were completely destroyed at the Marine Corp Logistics Base, and concrete light poles were snapped.

Several semi-trailers were tossed and piled atop each other, and multiple other large metal industrial buildings sustained heavy damage in this area as well.

[117] In Worth County, north of Jewell Crowe Road, several homes sustained significant damage and many large trees were twisted and snapped.

Another metal building structure had its southeast corner completely destroyed, and it had a few 2 ft (0.61 m) deep concrete support beams ripped out of the ground.

The storm crossed Highway 280, destroying several small wooden sheds and fences, and downing numerous trees before finally lifting along Kingfisher Road west of Abbeville at 4:27 p.m. EST (21:27 UTC).

[125] After January 22, the extratropical cyclone continued to move to the northeast, striking the mid-Atlantic and New England states, and the southeastern portions of Canada while transitioning into a nor'easter, causing high winds, rain, snow, and ice storms.

The storms caused wind damage to various buildings, including at least one death, and shuttered several airports and other transportation systems as it passed.

[132] Freezing rain and snow caused treacherous traveling conditions across southern Quebec on January 24; at least 100 accidents were blamed on slippery roads.

[136] On January 25 President Donald Trump declared a major disaster for Mississippi, enabling the use of federal funding for victims in Forrest, Lamar, Lauderdale, and Perry counties.

[138] Georgia Governor Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency in seven impacted counties and promised to provide the aid to affected areas.