Good morning from the Lake Houston area. As of 5:30 a.m. Central on Sunday, October 4, there are no flood watches, warnings or advisories in effect for Harris, Montgomery or Liberty counties. Both lakes are at normal operating levels, and the main weather story today is a mostly cloudy morning with a chance of showers and thunderstorms before the pattern dries out on Monday.
Lake Levels at a Glance
| Lake | Level | Percent Full | Reading Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Houston | 42.66 feet | 100.0 percent | 5:30 a.m. Central, Sunday, October 4 |
| Lake Conroe | 199.92 feet | 94.9 percent | Daily value for Sunday, October 4 |
Lake Houston
Lake Houston stood at 42.66 feet at 5:30 a.m. Central on Sunday, October 4, measured at the USGS gauge at Lk Houston nr Sheldon, TX, site number 08072000.
Across the 48 hours ending with that reading, the lake ran between a low of 42.36 feet at 6:30 a.m. Friday, October 2, and a high of 42.80 feet at 11:15 p.m. Saturday, October 3. The lake rose through Friday and Saturday, peaked late Saturday night, and has eased back about a tenth and a half of a foot since then. The total movement across the window was a little under half a foot.
The Texas Water Development Board puts Lake Houston at 100.0 percent of its conservation capacity. That figure means the reservoir is full at its normal operating pool. It is not a flood reading, and Lake Houston has sat at or near 100.0 percent for several days running.
Lake Conroe
Lake Conroe stood at 199.92 feet and 94.9 percent full in the Texas Water Development Board daily value for Sunday, October 4. That is up from 199.84 feet and 94.6 percent on Saturday, October 3, a rise of about eight hundredths of a foot. The lake has gained ground each day since Thursday.
The upstream level matters here because San Jacinto River Authority releases from Lake Conroe flow down the West Fork of the San Jacinto River into Lake Houston. What the authority does at the Conroe dam shows up downstream in Kingwood, Humble and Atascocita, which is why this report carries the Conroe number alongside the local one.
The Lake Conroe figure is a single daily reading rather than an intraday one, so it will not reflect changes that happen later in the day.
The Forecast
Today: Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms through the day, and a high near 83. North wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent, with new rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch possible. The National Weather Service issued no heat index value for this period.
Tonight: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7 p.m., then mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent, with new rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible. No heat index value was issued.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 88. North wind around 10 mph. No measurable chance of precipitation was forecast, and no heat index value was issued.
Active Weather Alerts
There are no active National Weather Service alerts for Harris, Montgomery or Liberty counties as of 5:30 a.m. Central Sunday, October 4. Six alerts were active statewide in Texas at the time of this report, all of them well outside the Lake Houston area: flood advisories from the Shreveport and Fort Worth offices, a coastal flood advisory from Corpus Christi, a coastal flood statement and a rip current statement from Brownsville, and a rip current statement from the Houston/Galveston office covering the coast rather than inland Harris County.
Sources
Lake Houston elevation from the U.S. Geological Survey gauge 08072000. Percent full figures for both lakes and the Lake Conroe elevation from the Texas Water Development Board. Forecast and alerts from the National Weather Service Houston/Galveston office. Gauge readings are provisional and subject to revision.
