Tampa Air Quality in December
Across 2019–2025, Tampa's December air quality had a median AQI of 47 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL area. 0.0% of December days (0 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 87.1% of days. The cleanest December on record here was 2023 (median AQI 43, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2021 (median 53, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 68).
- Good: 58.5%
- Moderate: 41.5%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
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How is the air in Tampa in December?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 47 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of December days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓58.5% of December days were Good (AQI 0–50), 41.5% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓0 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the December peak was 82.
- ✓Best December: 2023; worst December: 2021.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Tampa in December?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Tampa in December was 47 (Good). 58.5% of days were Good, 41.5% Moderate, and 0.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is December a good time for outdoor exercise in Tampa?▾
A typical December day in Tampa sits in the Good range (median AQI 47), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of December days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Tampa's December air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 87.1% of December days in Tampa. The highest December AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 82 (Moderate), in 2021.
Tampa December air quality, year by year
Tampa December air quality by year (Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 | 44 | 0 | 81 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 31 | 52 | 0 | 67 | PM2.5 |
| 2021worst | 31 | 53 | 0 | 68 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 31 | 51 | 0 | 71 | PM2.5 |
| 2023cleanest | 31 | 43 | 0 | 82 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 31 | 47 | 0 | 61 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 31 | 46 | 0 | 64 | PM2.5 |
What December air means in Tampa
A typical December day in Tampa sits in the Good range (median AQI 47), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of December days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
December's median AQI of 47 is below Tampa's whole-year median of 51, making it one of the area's cleaner periods. Nationally, the median December AQI across every EPA metro area (95,590 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 39, so Tampa runs above the national December norm; 0.0% of its December days topped AQI 100 versus 0.7% nationally (about the same).
December is part of Tampa's winter season (December, January, February); the winter page pools all three months.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Tampa
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Tampa's AQI at 45 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, not today's reading.
View current Tampa air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, 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.