116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Bundle up: Snow, wind is on the way
Cedar Rapids could see 3 inches, Waterloo 6 to 8 inches
Feb. 19, 2026 5:11 pm, Updated: Feb. 19, 2026 8:11 pm
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A winter storm with snow and with winds gusting up to 40 mph is expected to hit portions of Iowa tonight and into Friday morning.
The heaviest snow — up to 6 inches — is expected to run in a corridor from Council Bluffs to Des Moines to Dubuque, according to the National Weather Service.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Weather Service predicted Waterloo would see 6 and 8 inches of snow, with snow accumulating at about 1 inch per hour at times.
Cedar Rapids is expected to see about 3 inches of snow and Iowa City about 2 inches. The state’s southeastern counties should see less than an inch.
The National Weather Service’s Quad Cities office on Thursday issued a winter storm warning and a winter weather advisory for parts of Eastern Iowa.
The looming storm comes as Iowa — and much of the region — has experienced a mild February after bitter, ”life-threatening cold” temperatures in January with wind chills of minus 35 to minus 40 degrees in parts of Eastern Iowa.
The National Weather Service warned Iowans to be cautious of slippery roads as Thursday afternoon’s rain pivots to snow as the temperature drops.
If travel is unavoidable, the service urged Iowans to allow extra travel time, check local road conditions at 511 Iowa, be mindful of reduced visibility, avoid using cruise control and clean snow off cars before driving.
Flood risk low
As of now, Iowa’s spring flood risk is below normal, given that much of the winter’s snowfall melted in February, according to the Weather Service’s first of three Spring Flood and Water Resources Outlook. The second flood update will be released Feb. 26.
Although the risk of Iowa spring flooding is low, the Weather Service said the “main factors” that can still impact flood potential include “river ice coverage, frost depth and any significant spring precipitation.”
Olivia Cohen covers energy and environment for The Gazette and is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. She is also a contributing writer for the Ag and Water Desk, an independent journalism collaborative focusing on the Mississippi River Basin.
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Comments: olivia.cohen@thegazette.com
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