Iowa Weather: 02-21-2026

Good morning! I'm Aaron Jolly, and welcome to the Iowa Weather Podcast. It's Saturday, February 17th, and folks, Iowa woke up mean today. Step outside and you'll feel it instantly. Western Iowa sits at 10 degrees with a light northwest breeze at 5 miles an hour. Central Iowa reads 11 degrees. Not much better. Eastern Iowa hits 13 degrees, but gustier winds at 10 miles an hour make it sting. The Quad Cities claim bragging rights at 14 degrees, though that's like winning a contest nobody entered. Here's the deal on highs today. Western Iowa struggles to 18 degrees. Central Iowa barely touches 20. Eastern Iowa and the Quad Cities top out near 22. That's the kind of cold where your car door handle fights back. Sunrise hits at 6:32 A.M., and here's your silver lining. We're gaining 2 minutes and 52 seconds of daylight. Winter's grip is loosening, even if it doesn't feel like it yet. Tonight the real bite arrives. Lows plunge to minus 2 out west. Central Iowa drops to zero. Eastern Iowa holds at 3 degrees, Quad Cities at 4. Winds ease up, but that means patchy black ice on untreated roads. You'll want to take it slow if you're heading anywhere after dark. Sunday's a carbon copy. Sunny skies, mid 20s statewide. Perfect for watching football from the couch with zero guilt. Here's your heads up for the week ahead. This cold, dry pattern isn't budging. No snow, no thaw. Highs creep toward the upper 20s by Tuesday, which almost feels tropical compared to today. Then another cold snap rolls in Thursday. Think of it as winter reminding us who's boss. One more thing. If this forecast helped you plan your Saturday, share it with a neighbor. Word of mouth keeps us going. That's your forecast — we'll be back tomorrow. Stay safe out there, folks. Bundle up!