Anchorage Air Quality in May
Across 2019–2025, Anchorage's May air quality had a median AQI of 25 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Anchorage, AK area. 0.5% of May days (1 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and coarse dust (PM10) set the daily AQI on 69.1% of days. The cleanest May on record here was 2025 (median AQI 20, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2019 (median 27, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 116).
- Good: 94.0%
- Moderate: 5.5%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.5%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
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How is the air in Anchorage in May?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 25 across 2019–2025, with 0.5% of May days above AQI 100. Coarse dust (PM10) is the main driver.
- ✓94.0% of May days were Good (AQI 0–50), 5.5% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓1 day of 217 reached AQI 101+; the May peak was 116.
- ✓Best May: 2025; worst May: 2019.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Anchorage in May?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Anchorage in May was 25 (Good). 94.0% of days were Good, 5.5% Moderate, and 0.5% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is May a good time for outdoor exercise in Anchorage?▾
A typical May day in Anchorage sits in the Good range (median AQI 25), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of May days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Anchorage's May air quality problems?▾
Coarse dust (PM10) set the daily AQI on 69.1% of May days in Anchorage. The highest May AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 116 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2019.
Anchorage May air quality, year by year
Anchorage May air quality by year (Anchorage, AK, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019worst | 31 | 27 | 1 | 116 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 31 | 27 | 0 | 65 | PM10 |
| 2021 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 69 | PM10 |
| 2022 | 31 | 29 | 0 | 61 | PM10 |
| 2023 | 31 | 24 | 0 | 85 | PM10 |
| 2024 | 31 | 21 | 0 | 63 | PM10 |
| 2025cleanest | 31 | 20 | 0 | 44 | PM10 |
What May air means in Anchorage
A typical May day in Anchorage sits in the Good range (median AQI 25), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of May days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
May's median AQI of 25 is in line with Anchorage's whole-year median of 27, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median May AQI across every EPA metro area (104,064 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 44, so Anchorage runs below the national May norm; 0.5% of its May days topped AQI 100 versus 1.3% nationally (about the same).
May is part of Anchorage's spring season (March, April, May); the spring page pools all three months.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Anchorage
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Anchorage's AQI at 18 (PM10). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, not today's reading.
View current Anchorage air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Anchorage, AK), 2019–2025. Daily AQI per CBSA is the highest AQI reported by any monitor in the area that day; the defining parameter is the pollutant that set it. Month and season statistics pool every such day in the period across all years listed. Retrieved 2026-09-09.