Arriving at the time of a new moon, the storm produced heavy coastal flooding along the New England coast. On Cape Ann, beachfront homes were washed away due to strong winds and coastal flooding. In all, more than 1,700 homes suffered major damage or were destroyed and 39,000 people took refuge in emergency shelters. Federal disaster assistance totaled $202 million (1978 dollars).

Snow fell at a rate of 4 inches an hour at times during the storm, which lasted for 36 hours. The unusual duration of the 1978 Nor’easter was caused by the Canadian high, which forced the storm to loop east and then back toward the north. Thunder, lightning and hail was seen in the blizzard as it blanketed the Northeast with over three feet of snow. Drifts in New England were reported to be 15 feet deep.

Traffic came to a standstill as major corridors like I-95 shut down. During the storm several people died on Route 128 around Boston from asphyxiation: snow had blocked the tailpipes of their idling automobiles. In New York City schools were closed and cross-county skiers could be seen sliding up Fifth Avenue.