Austin remains in a drought

Central Texas remains in a state of severe drought, with Travis County largely affected despite recent downpours. According to the U. S. Drought Monitor, nearly all of Travis County is classified under severe drought, while parts of San Antonio face exceptional drought conditions. Lakes Buchanan and Travis, the region's main reservoirs, are currently at just 52% of their full capacity, a significant drop since they were last full in July 2019.

The Highland Lakes experienced a staggering loss of approximately 45 billion gallons of water to evaporation in 2024, equivalent to filling about 70,000 Olympic-size swimming pools. In response, the Lower Colorado River Authority has implemented Stage 2 of its drought response, which limits water usage among utilities and industries. Kelly Payne, a senior executive at the LCRA, emphasized the urgent need for rain upstream to make its way into the lakes. Climatologists predict that the future may bring longer dry spells punctuated by intense rainfall due to climate change. The forecast for the Austin area indicates continued haze but no rain through the weekend.