The latest lake level projections are shown below. You will also find:
- Links to historical lake level plots
- Last month’s projections compared to what actually happened.
As temperatures drop during the winter months, so do water usage and evaporation rates. This will help keep water from leaving the lakes. TRWD’s Meteorologist, Courtney Jalbert, provides discussion on what we can expect in terms of rainfall adding water to the lakes in the “From our Meteorologist” section. Thank you for following the Lake Level Blog and check back next month about this time for more projections.
From our Meteorologist
December Summary…
Through December 20th, only 0.60 inches of rain was recorded at DFW airport. Then came the rain, five to six inches of it in some areas. See 30-day totals shown in map below. Unfortunately, the Lake Bridgeport watershed missed out on the majority of the rain, but the system as a whole saw a 1.4% increase in storage from December 20 to 25.
Rainfall totals at TRWD’s western-most lakes has been below normal most of the year. The recent rain helped but was not enough to close the gap between observed and normal rainfall before year’s end. Year to date rain totals at the TRWD lakes are shown below. Lake Bridgeport (-7.9”) and Eagle Mountain (-3.4”) will finish 2023 in a rainfall deficit, while Cedar Creek (+12.6”) and Richland Chambers (+2.3”) saw surplus rainfall in 2023.
TRWD Lake Rainfall Totals though December 27, 2023
Looking ahead…
The Climate Predication Center is predicting near normal temperatures and precipitation in January, which are 46° Fahrenheit and 2.5 inches of rain. January tends to be a dry month in North Texas; only July and August receive less rain on average. Despite the El Niño conditions in the Pacific Ocean, which tend to favor wetter than normal winter conditions across the southern U.S., optimism for above normal rainfall has diminished in the latest seasonal outlook. This doesn’t mean it will not rain in January, it just means we are more likely to receive only 2 to 3 inches throughout the month. The upside to January rain is the dormant vegetation and lower evaporation leads to higher runoff rates, meaning when it does rain a higher percentage makes it to the streams and lakes.
Cheers to your health and happiness and cheers to fuller lakes in 2024!
Projections
Lake Bridgeport
Eagle Mountain Lake
Cedar Creek Lake
Richland-Chambers Lake
