Fargo Air Quality in January
Across 2019–2025, Fargo's January air quality had a median AQI of 35 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Fargo, ND-MN area. 0.9% of January days (2 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 54.4% of days. The cleanest January on record here was 2024 (median AQI 31, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 67, 2 days above 100, peak AQI 139).
- Good: 77.0%
- Moderate: 22.1%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.9%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
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How is the air in Fargo in January?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 35 across 2019–2025, with 0.9% of January days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓77.0% of January days were Good (AQI 0–50), 22.1% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓2 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the January peak was 139.
- ✓Best January: 2024; worst January: 2023.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Fargo in January?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Fargo in January was 35 (Good). 77.0% of days were Good, 22.1% Moderate, and 0.9% 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 Fargo?▾
A typical January day in Fargo sits in the Good range (median AQI 35), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of January days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Fargo's January air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 54.4% of January days in Fargo. The highest January AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 139 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2023.
Fargo January air quality, year by year
Fargo January air quality by year (Fargo, ND-MN, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 | 33 | 0 | 60 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 31 | 39 | 0 | 60 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 31 | 38 | 0 | 84 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 31 | 37 | 0 | 60 | PM2.5 |
| 2023worst | 31 | 67 | 2 | 139 | PM2.5 |
| 2024cleanest | 31 | 31 | 0 | 63 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 31 | 33 | 0 | 38 | O3 |
What January air means in Fargo
A typical January day in Fargo sits in the Good range (median AQI 35), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of January days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
January's median AQI of 35 is in line with Fargo's whole-year median of 38, 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 Fargo runs below the national January norm; 0.9% of its January days topped AQI 100 versus 0.7% nationally (about the same).
January is part of Fargo's winter season (December, January, February); the winter page pools all three months.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Fargo
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Fargo's AQI at 24 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, not today's reading.
View current Fargo air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Fargo, ND-MN), 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.