Los Angeles Air Quality in Spring
Across 2019–2025, Los Angeles's spring (March–May) air quality had a median AQI of 61 (Moderate) over 644 monitored days in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area. 12.7% of spring days (82 of 644) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 52.0% of days. The cleanest spring on record here was 2019 (median AQI 58, 5 days above 100) and the worst was 2020 (median 55, 20 days above 100, peak AQI 206).
- Good: 18.6%
- Moderate: 68.6%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 10.2%
- Unhealthy or worse: 2.5%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Los Angeles
Today's main pollutant in Los Angeles is ground-level ozone (AQI 38). Important: standard HEPA filters do NOT remove ozone — only a purifier with a substantial activated-carbon bed adsorbs it. The biggest wins are cutting indoor sources (gas appliances, certain "ionizer" purifiers) and ventilating when outdoor ozone is low (early morning). A high-carbon unit helps with the gases and VOCs that linger indoors.
Recommended: Levoit Core 300 — True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft
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How is the air in Los Angeles in spring?
Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 61 across 2019–2025, with 12.7% of spring days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓18.6% of spring days were Good (AQI 0–50), 68.6% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓82 days of 644 reached AQI 101+; the spring peak was 206.
- ✓Cleanest month: March; worst month: May.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Los Angeles in spring?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Los Angeles in spring was 61 (Moderate). 18.6% of days were Good, 68.6% Moderate, and 12.7% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 644 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is spring a good time for outdoor exercise in Los Angeles?▾
A typical spring day in Los Angeles is Moderate (median AQI 61): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 8 of spring days (12.7%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
Which pollutant causes Los Angeles's spring air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 52.0% of spring days in Los Angeles. The highest spring AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 206 (Very Unhealthy), in 2020.
Los Angeles spring air quality, year by year
Los Angeles spring air quality by year (Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019cleanest | 92 | 58 | 5 | 115 | PM2.5 |
| 2020worst | 92 | 55 | 20 | 206 | O3 |
| 2021 | 92 | 66 | 7 | 133 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 92 | 67 | 13 | 192 | O3 |
| 2023 | 92 | 59 | 14 | 156 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 92 | 60 | 7 | 140 | O3 |
| 2025 | 92 | 63 | 16 | 159 | O3 |
What spring air means in Los Angeles
A typical spring day in Los Angeles is Moderate (median AQI 61): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 8 of spring days (12.7%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
Spring's median AQI of 61 is below Los Angeles's whole-year median of 74, making it one of the area's cleaner periods. Nationally, the median Spring AQI across every EPA metro area (307,196 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 43, so Los Angeles runs above the national Spring norm; 12.7% of its Spring days topped AQI 100 versus 0.8% nationally (above average).
Within the season, March is the cleanest month (median AQI 55, 0.5% of days above 100) and May the worst (median 74, 22.2% above 100).
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Los Angeles
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Los Angeles's AQI at 38 (O3). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.
View current Los Angeles air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA), 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.