Orlando Air Quality in Winter
Across 2019–2025, Orlando's winter (December–February) air quality had a median AQI of 42 (Good) over 632 monitored days in the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL area. 0.5% of winter days (3 of 632) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 63.0% of days. The cleanest winter on record here was 2025 (median AQI 43, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 41, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 103).
- Good: 73.6%
- Moderate: 25.9%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.5%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Orlando
Today's main pollutant in Orlando is ground-level ozone (AQI 37). 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 Orlando in winter?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 42 across 2019–2025, with 0.5% of winter days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓73.6% of winter days were Good (AQI 0–50), 25.9% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓3 days of 632 reached AQI 101+; the winter peak was 149.
- ✓Cleanest month: December; worst month: January.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Orlando in winter?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Orlando in winter was 42 (Good). 73.6% of days were Good, 25.9% Moderate, and 0.5% 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 Orlando?▾
A typical winter day in Orlando sits in the Good range (median AQI 42), 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 Orlando's winter air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 63.0% of winter days in Orlando. The highest winter AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 149 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2023.
Orlando winter air quality, year by year
Orlando winter air quality by year (Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 90 | 41 | 1 | 110 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 91 | 44 | 0 | 71 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 90 | 44 | 0 | 68 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 90 | 44 | 0 | 72 | PM2.5 |
| 2023worst | 90 | 41 | 1 | 103 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 91 | 40 | 1 | 149 | PM2.5 |
| 2025cleanest | 90 | 43 | 0 | 74 | PM2.5 |
What winter air means in Orlando
A typical winter day in Orlando sits in the Good range (median AQI 42), 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 42 is in line with Orlando's whole-year median of 44, 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 Orlando runs in line with the national Winter norm; 0.5% of its Winter days topped AQI 100 versus 0.6% nationally (about the same).
Within the season, December is the cleanest month (median AQI 40, 0.0% of days above 100) and January the worst (median 42, 1.4% above 100).
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Orlando
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Orlando's AQI at 37 (O3). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.
View current Orlando air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, 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.