Fort Lauderdale Air Quality in Winter
Across 2019–2025, Fort Lauderdale's winter (December–February) air quality had a median AQI of 52 (Moderate) over 632 monitored days in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL area. 1.3% of winter days (8 of 632) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 81.3% of days. The cleanest winter on record here was 2025 (median AQI 47, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2024 (median 49, 3 days above 100, peak AQI 197).
- Good: 43.8%
- Moderate: 54.9%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.5%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.8%
Improve Indoor Air Quality
Even with good outdoor air in Fort Lauderdale, indoor PM2.5, dust and allergens build up. A True-HEPA purifier keeps a bedroom or office consistently clean.
Recommended: Levoit Core 400S — True HEPA · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
How is the air in Fort Lauderdale in winter?
Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 52 across 2019–2025, with 1.3% of winter days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓43.8% of winter days were Good (AQI 0–50), 54.9% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓8 days of 632 reached AQI 101+; the winter peak was 197.
- ✓Cleanest month: December; worst month: January.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Fort Lauderdale in winter?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Fort Lauderdale in winter was 52 (Moderate). 43.8% of days were Good, 54.9% Moderate, and 1.3% 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 Fort Lauderdale?▾
A typical winter day in Fort Lauderdale is Moderate (median AQI 52): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 77 of winter days (1.3%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
Which pollutant causes Fort Lauderdale's winter air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 81.3% of winter days in Fort Lauderdale. The highest winter AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 197 (Unhealthy), in 2024.
Fort Lauderdale winter air quality, year by year
Fort Lauderdale winter air quality by year (Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 90 | 50 | 1 | 146 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 91 | 52 | 0 | 84 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 90 | 53 | 1 | 135 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 90 | 52 | 1 | 136 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 90 | 54 | 2 | 170 | PM2.5 |
| 2024worst | 91 | 49 | 3 | 197 | PM2.5 |
| 2025cleanest | 90 | 47 | 0 | 80 | PM2.5 |
What winter air means in Fort Lauderdale
A typical winter day in Fort Lauderdale is Moderate (median AQI 52): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 77 of winter days (1.3%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
Winter's median AQI of 52 is in line with Fort Lauderdale's whole-year median of 51, 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 Fort Lauderdale runs above the national Winter norm; 1.3% of its Winter days topped AQI 100 versus 0.6% nationally (about the same).
Within the season, December is the cleanest month (median AQI 49, 1.0% of days above 100) and January the worst (median 52, 1.8% above 100).
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Fort Lauderdale
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Fort Lauderdale's AQI at 42 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.
View current Fort Lauderdale air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL), 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.