TEXAS, USA — So we've all been talking about how ridiculously hot and dry it has been with an exceptional drought over portions of the Hill Country, namely portions of Mason, Llano and Gillespie counties.
With that said, there has been somewhat of a silver lining to this heat, and it is that over the past couple of weeks, including during that 110-degree day this past Sunday, we have seen pop-up thunderstorms that have brought in spurts of rain in spots. Some of the highest totals have been in the Hill Country.
For example, Herman's Point in northwestern Gillespie County received well over an inch and a half of rain over the last couple of weeks. Most of the rain there fell this past week during some of the hottest days in the past two years, including Sunday when we tied the all-time July record of 110.
This rain could have an effect on lake levels even in the Austin metro, such as Lake Travis. While Lake Buchanan is at 69% of full pool and Lake Travis is at 56% of full pool, resulting in the enlarged "Sometimes Islands," these rainfalls in the Hill Country the past week could result in runoff that could allow for lake levels to rise.
However, with the exceptional drought gripping much of the Hill Country, it is possible that the soil in that region could limit runoff, so we'll watch those lake levels to see if we get an effect from it.
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