Sarasota Air Quality in Winter

Across 2019–2025, Sarasota's winter (December–February) air quality had a median AQI of 44 (Good) over 632 monitored days in the North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL 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 72.0% of days. The cleanest winter on record here was 2019 (median AQI 42, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2022 (median 48, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 68).

44
Median AQI
Good
0.0%
Days above AQI 100
0 of 632 days
56
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
84
Peak AQI
Moderate
PM2.5
Main pollutant
72.0% of days
70.6%
Good days
446 of 632
  • Good: 70.6%
  • Moderate: 29.4%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%

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QUICK ANSWER

How is the air in Sarasota in winter?

Good on a typical day: median AQI 44 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of winter days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.

  • 70.6% of winter days were Good (AQI 0–50), 29.4% Moderate (51–100).
  • 0 days of 632 reached AQI 101+; the winter peak was 84.
  • Cleanest month: December; worst month: February.

Frequently asked questions

What is the air quality like in Sarasota in winter?

Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Sarasota in winter was 44 (Good). 70.6% of days were Good, 29.4% 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 Sarasota?

A typical winter day in Sarasota sits in the Good range (median AQI 44), 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 Sarasota's winter air quality problems?

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 72.0% of winter days in Sarasota. The highest winter AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 84 (Moderate), in 2022.

Sarasota winter air quality, year by year

Sarasota winter air quality by year (North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL, EPA AQS daily AQI)

YearDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
2019cleanest9042074PM2.5
20209144079PM2.5
20219047083PM2.5
2022worst9048068PM2.5
20239043084PM2.5
20249143074PM2.5
20259044071PM2.5

What winter air means in Sarasota

A typical winter day in Sarasota sits in the Good range (median AQI 44), 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 44 is in line with Sarasota's whole-year median of 45, 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 Sarasota runs above the national Winter norm; 0.0% of its Winter days topped AQI 100 versus 0.6% nationally (about the same).

Within the season, December is the cleanest month (median AQI 42, 0.0% of days above 100) and February the worst (median 45, 0.0% above 100).

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

Right now in Sarasota

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Sarasota's AQI at 42 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.

View current Sarasota air quality →

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, 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.