Hartford Air Quality in Winter

Across 2019–2025, Hartford's winter (December–February) air quality had a median AQI of 41 (Good) over 632 monitored days in the Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT area. 0.0% of winter days (0 of 632) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 63.8% of days. The cleanest winter on record here was 2024 (median AQI 38, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2021 (median 45, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 93).

41
Median AQI
Good
0.0%
Days above AQI 100
0 of 632 days
63
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
98
Peak AQI
Moderate
PM2.5
Main pollutant
63.8% of days
63.0%
Good days
398 of 632
  • Good: 63.0%
  • Moderate: 37.0%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%

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QUICK ANSWER

How is the air in Hartford in winter?

Good on a typical day: median AQI 41 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of winter days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.

  • 63.0% of winter days were Good (AQI 0–50), 37.0% Moderate (51–100).
  • 0 days of 632 reached AQI 101+; the winter peak was 98.
  • Cleanest month: January; worst month: February.

Frequently asked questions

What is the air quality like in Hartford in winter?

Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Hartford in winter was 41 (Good). 63.0% of days were Good, 37.0% Moderate, and 0.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 632 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.

Is winter a good time for outdoor exercise in Hartford?

A typical winter day in Hartford sits in the Good range (median AQI 41), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of winter days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

Which pollutant causes Hartford's winter air quality problems?

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 63.8% of winter days in Hartford. The highest winter AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 98 (Moderate), in 2021.

Hartford winter air quality, year by year

Hartford winter air quality by year (Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT, EPA AQS daily AQI)

YearDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
20199043092PM2.5
20209145098PM2.5
2021worst9045093PM2.5
20229041080PM2.5
20239039079PM2.5
2024cleanest9138075PM2.5
20259040075PM2.5

What winter air means in Hartford

A typical winter day in Hartford sits in the Good range (median AQI 41), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of winter days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

Winter's median AQI of 41 is in line with Hartford's whole-year median of 43, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median Winter AQI across every EPA metro area (278,620 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 40, so Hartford runs in line with the national Winter norm; 0.0% of its Winter days topped AQI 100 versus 0.6% nationally (about the same).

Within the season, January is the cleanest month (median AQI 39, 0.0% of days above 100) and February the worst (median 42, 0.0% above 100).

Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.

Right now in Hartford

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Hartford's AQI at 36 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.

View current Hartford air quality →

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT), 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.