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Snow activity expected to taper off Thursday afternoon

February 18, 2026

Heaviest snowfall was expected early Thursday; winter storm warning expires at 10 a.m. Thursday

Ashland.news staff report

Widespread accumulations of snow are expected Wednesday night into Thursday morning in Jackson County, according to a Wednesday afternoon update from the Medford office of the National Weather Service on a winter storm warning and winter weather advisory due to expire at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Snow accumulations of 2 to 6 inches can be expected in the storm warning area above 2,000-foot elevation, the approximate level of downtown Ashland, while lower elevations in the weather advisory area may see 1 to 3 inches of accumulation from this latest batch of snow activity since a cold front blew in Monday.

Light snow showers expected Wednesday evening with snow levels dipping to 1,500 feet are expected to taper off into Thursday afternoon with snow levels rising to 2,000, the forecast said.

The majority of snow was expected between 2 and 7 a.m. Thursday.

Travel may be difficult and delay commutes, the weather service cautioned. Hazardous conditions could impact the Thursday morning commute.

Updated road condition information is available at tripcheck.com.

Overnight lows in Ashland were forecast to be 24 Wednesday night, 21 Thursday night, 27 Friday night and 35 Saturday night, with highs at 38 Thursday, 42 Friday and 47 Saturday.

Shelters open

Ashland’s severe-weather winter shelter at 2200 Ashland St., and an additional shelter at 2350 Ashland St., are open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights, Feb. 18-20. Doors at both locations open at 5 p.m. Doors close and lights are out by 10 p.m. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

These shelters are low-barrier, no-frills, overnight shelters for anyone needing relief from inclement weather. Both locations are managed by Opportunities for Housing, Resources & Assistance (OHRA).

Email Ashland.news Executive Editor Bert Etling at [email protected] or call or text him at 541-631-1313.

Bert Etling

Bert Etling is the executive editor of Ashland.news. Email him at [email protected].

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