Monday evening on the Lake Houston area. There are no flood alerts active for Harris, Montgomery or Liberty counties, and both lakes are sitting inside their normal range. The one alert in effect is an air quality alert: Tuesday, September 22, is an Ozone Action Day for the Houston area. The forecast stays hot, with a heat index as high as 105 on Tuesday.
| Lake | Level | Percent full | Reading time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Houston | 42.32 feet | 99.7 percent | 5:30 p.m. Central, Monday, September 21 |
| Lake Conroe | 199.75 feet | 94.1 percent | Daily value for Monday, September 21 |
Lake Houston
The U.S. Geological Survey gauge at Lk Houston nr Sheldon, TX, site 08072000, read 42.32 feet at 5:30 p.m. Central on Monday, September 21.
Over the past 48 hours the gauge has moved between 42.28 feet, recorded at 5:15 p.m. Sunday, and 42.38 feet, first recorded at 12:15 a.m. Sunday and last at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. That is a swing of just over an inch. The lake dipped Sunday afternoon, recovered overnight and has held near 42.3 feet through Monday. Nothing in the record suggests a rise.
The Texas Water Development Board lists Lake Houston at 99.7 percent of conservation capacity, with a daily value of 42.35 feet for Monday, in line with the USGS readings.
Lake Conroe
The Texas Water Development Board daily value for Lake Conroe is 199.75 feet and 94.1 percent full for Monday, September 21, down 0.01 feet from 199.76 feet on Sunday. The lake has eased a little nearly every day this month in dry weather. This is a slow drawdown, not a release event.
Lake Conroe belongs in a Lake Houston paper because the two are connected. San Jacinto River Authority releases from Lake Conroe flow down the West Fork of the San Jacinto River into Lake Houston, so the upstream level is part of the local flooding picture in Kingwood, Humble and Atascocita.
The forecast
Tonight. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7 p.m., then mostly clear, with a low around 76. Heat index values as high as 101. Southeast wind 0 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
Tuesday. Sunny, with a high near 97. Heat index values as high as 105. North wind 0 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation 9 percent.
Tuesday night. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7 p.m., then mostly clear, with a low around 76. Northeast wind 0 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
The forecast was issued by the National Weather Service office in Houston/Galveston and last updated at 1:21 p.m. Central on Monday.
Alerts
There are no flood watches, warnings or advisories for Harris County, Montgomery County or Liberty County this evening.
The National Weather Service in Houston/Galveston relayed an air quality alert at 2:57 p.m. Monday for Harris County and neighboring coastal counties. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has declared Tuesday, September 22, an Ozone Action Day for the Houston, Galveston and Brazoria area, meaning conditions are expected to favor high ozone levels. TCEQ suggests sharing rides, skipping drive-through lanes and conserving energy. The alert runs through 7 p.m. Tuesday. It is an air quality measure and has nothing to do with lake levels.
The 90-day burn ban for unincorporated Harris County also remains in effect. It is a fire risk measure tied to dry conditions.
Sources
Lake elevation from the U.S. Geological Survey. Reservoir storage and percent full from the Texas Water Development Board. Forecast and alerts from the National Weather Service Houston/Galveston. Gauge readings are provisional and subject to revision by the USGS.
