textproduct: Omaha/Valley

KEY MESSAGES

- As snowfall tapers off overnight, blowing drifting of snow will continue as winds decrease through 6 AM.

- Below-normal temperatures are forecast through the weekend as snowpack limits highs to the upper 20s to low 30s.

- Additional light snow is possible (20-40% PoPs) Friday night in southeast Nebraska with only minor accumulations expected.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1131 PM CST Thu Feb 19 2026

...4:30am: edited aviation forecast to correct for wind direction...

Rest of Tonight:

Satellite imagery this evening has been alight with the dynamic shortwave trough that continues to pivot from the Central Plains into the Great Lakes Region, with a band of potent snowfall held close to its northern edge. As this system continues to shift eastward, the best forcing for ascent continues to get pulled eastward, with recent radar trends showing a trend downward for snowfall rates across eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa. Impressive totals have come in so far, especially for the Omaha/CB and Lincoln Metro areas where amounts of 6-8" have been reported. Expect snowfall rates continue diminishing, coming to an end by 3 AM. While that is happening winds out of the northwest continue to gust to 25-35 mph, blowing around the increasingly fluffy top layer of snow and cause drifting overnight. Those winds will trend downward and by 6 AM, speeds will have fallen to below 15 mph and continue to settle in/compact. Temperatures will continue to slide overnight as the cold airmass to the north funnels in, eventually bottoming out in the mid-to-lower teens. The little bit of wind will add enough bite to have it feeling closer to -5 to 0 degrees.

Friday and Saturday:

What has to this point slid under the radar, comes more into focus Friday into Saturday in the form of light snow riding on the back edge of the broader troughing pattern that has brought fire and ice to the area through the week so far. Headaches with these snow chances will be minimal thankfully, though we can always use the moisture. With the surface portion of system sticking closer to the Oklahoma/Kansas border, only far southern portions of Nebraska have a chance (25-35%) of seeing snowfall, with a tenth of an inch being on the optimistic side of things. Those chances build across south- central Nebraska after 6 PM tomorrow evening before approaching Fairbury and Beatrice area by midnight, eventually dissolving entirely by 4 AM Saturday. Highs both Friday and Saturday will be highly modulated by the snow that has fallen, kicking expectations down and into the 20 to lower 30s, continuing the shock to the system after our recent warm spell.

Sunday and Beyond:

Sunday heading into next week will do its best to dig us out of the freezer, with the overall mid/upper pattern transitioning into ridging centered over the Rocky Mountain Front Range. Highs will begin climbing from the 20s across most of the area Sunday upwards into the 30s Monday, and into the 40/50s Tuesday (by which we've hopefully worked away the snowpack). On the back edge of the forecast, we'll see that ridge flatten, bringing temperatures close to normal and giving us our next chances for rain/snow Wednesday into Thursday.

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/

Issued at 1130 PM CST Thu Feb 19 2026

Worst of visibilities and cigs are expected to have already been recorded, making the TAF forecasting easier this time around. Only KOMA remains in IFR category after 6Z as snow continues to push east and taper across eastern Iowa. Expect to see VFR cigs at all three TAF sites by 10Z with northwesterly winds slowly losing speed through the night.

OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

NE...None. IA...None.