Tuesday morning on the Lake Houston area. There are no flood alerts active for Harris, Montgomery or Liberty counties, and both lakes are holding steady inside their normal range. The one alert in effect is the air quality alert for today’s Ozone Action Day in the Houston area, which runs through 7 p.m. The forecast stays hot and mostly dry, with a heat index as high as 104 this afternoon.
| Lake | Level | Percent full | Reading time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Houston | 42.34 feet | 99.7 percent | 5:30 a.m. Central, Tuesday, September 22 |
| Lake Conroe | 199.74 feet | 94.1 percent | Daily value for Tuesday, September 22 |
Lake Houston
The U.S. Geological Survey gauge at Lk Houston nr Sheldon, TX, site 08072000, read 42.34 feet at 5:30 a.m. Central on Tuesday, September 22.
Over the past 48 hours the gauge has moved between 42.28 feet, recorded at 5:15 p.m. Sunday, and 42.38 feet, recorded Sunday morning and last at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. That is a swing of just over an inch. The lake has held near 42.3 feet since Sunday evening, and 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 42.34 feet, in line with the USGS reading.
Lake Conroe
The Texas Water Development Board daily value for Lake Conroe is 199.74 feet and 94.1 percent full for Tuesday, September 22, down 0.01 feet from 199.75 feet on Monday. The lake continues the slow daily drawdown seen through this dry stretch. This is 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
Today. Sunny, with a high near 97 and a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 p.m. Heat index values as high as 104. North wind 0 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
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 102. Northeast wind 0 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
Wednesday. Sunny, with a high near 97. Heat index values as high as 104. Northeast wind 0 to 10 mph. The forecast text carries no rain chance; the forecast grid puts it at 5 percent.
The forecast was issued by the National Weather Service office in Houston/Galveston and last updated at 1:21 a.m. Central on Tuesday.
Alerts
There are no flood watches, warnings or advisories for Harris County, Montgomery County or Liberty County this morning.
The air quality alert the National Weather Service in Houston/Galveston relayed Monday afternoon for Harris County and neighboring coastal counties remains in effect. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has declared today, Tuesday, September 22, an Ozone Action Day for the Houston, Galveston and Brazoria area. The alert runs through 7 p.m. 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.
