New Orleans Air Quality in January
Across 2019–2025, New Orleans's January air quality had a median AQI of 47 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the New Orleans-Metairie, LA area. 1.0% of January days (2 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 72.4% of days. The cleanest January on record here was 2025 (median AQI 42, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 48, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 126).
- Good: 57.1%
- Moderate: 41.9%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.5%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.5%
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How is the air in New Orleans in January?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 47 across 2019–2025, with 1.0% of January days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓57.1% of January days were Good (AQI 0–50), 41.9% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓2 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the January peak was 188.
- ✓Best January: 2025; worst January: 2023.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in New Orleans in January?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in New Orleans in January was 47 (Good). 57.1% of days were Good, 41.9% Moderate, and 1.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is January a good time for outdoor exercise in New Orleans?▾
A typical January day in New Orleans sits in the Good range (median AQI 47), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 100 of January days (1.0%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes New Orleans's January air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 72.4% of January days in New Orleans. The highest January AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 188 (Unhealthy), in 2023.
New Orleans January air quality, year by year
New Orleans January air quality by year (New Orleans-Metairie, LA, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 | 46 | 0 | 71 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 31 | 43 | 0 | 90 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 31 | 44 | 0 | 66 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 31 | 55 | 0 | 82 | PM2.5 |
| 2023worst | 31 | 48 | 1 | 126 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 31 | 41 | 1 | 188 | PM2.5 |
| 2025cleanest | 31 | 42 | 0 | 57 | O3 |
What January air means in New Orleans
A typical January day in New Orleans sits in the Good range (median AQI 47), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 100 of January days (1.0%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
January's median AQI of 47 is in line with New Orleans's whole-year median of 49, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median January AQI across every EPA metro area (95,602 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 39, so New Orleans runs above the national January norm; 1.0% of its January days topped AQI 100 versus 0.7% nationally (about the same).
January is part of New Orleans's winter season (December, January, February); the winter page pools all three months.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in New Orleans
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts New Orleans's AQI at 43 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, not today's reading.
View current New Orleans air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (New Orleans-Metairie, LA), 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.