Fort Wayne Air Quality in Winter

Across 2019–2025, Fort Wayne's winter (December–February) air quality had a median AQI of 52 (Moderate) over 632 monitored days in the Fort Wayne, IN area. 0.2% of winter days (1 of 632) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 89.2% of days. The cleanest winter on record here was 2024 (median AQI 47, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2022 (median 52, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 109).

52
Median AQI
Moderate
0.2%
Days above AQI 100
1 of 632 days
67
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
109
Peak AQI
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
PM2.5
Main pollutant
89.2% of days
43.7%
Good days
276 of 632
  • Good: 43.7%
  • Moderate: 56.2%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.2%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%

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QUICK ANSWER

How is the air in Fort Wayne in winter?

Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 52 across 2019–2025, with 0.2% of winter days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.

  • 43.7% of winter days were Good (AQI 0–50), 56.2% Moderate (51–100).
  • 1 day of 632 reached AQI 101+; the winter peak was 109.
  • Cleanest month: December; worst month: January.

Frequently asked questions

What is the air quality like in Fort Wayne in winter?

Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Fort Wayne in winter was 52 (Moderate). 43.7% of days were Good, 56.2% Moderate, and 0.2% 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 Wayne?

A typical winter day in Fort Wayne is Moderate (median AQI 52): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and fewer than 1% of winter days 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 Wayne's winter air quality problems?

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 89.2% of winter days in Fort Wayne. The highest winter AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 109 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2022.

Fort Wayne winter air quality, year by year

Fort Wayne winter air quality by year (Fort Wayne, IN, EPA AQS daily AQI)

YearDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
20199056091PM2.5
20209153074PM2.5
20219052081PM2.5
2022worst90521109PM2.5
20239052082PM2.5
2024cleanest9147072PM2.5
20259051082PM2.5

What winter air means in Fort Wayne

A typical winter day in Fort Wayne is Moderate (median AQI 52): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and fewer than 1% of winter days 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 Wayne's whole-year median of 49, 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 Wayne runs above the national Winter norm; 0.2% of its Winter days topped AQI 100 versus 0.6% nationally (about the same).

Within the season, December is the cleanest month (median AQI 52, 0.0% of days above 100) and January the worst (median 51, 0.5% above 100).

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

Right now in Fort Wayne

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Fort Wayne's AQI at 27 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.

View current Fort Wayne air quality →

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Fort Wayne, IN), 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.