Fargo Air Quality in Winter
Across 2019–2025, Fargo's winter (December–February) air quality had a median AQI of 35 (Good) over 632 monitored days in the Fargo, ND-MN area. 0.5% of winter days (3 of 632) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 57.8% of days. The cleanest winter on record here was 2024 (median AQI 32, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 47, 2 days above 100, peak AQI 139).
- Good: 77.5%
- Moderate: 22.0%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.5%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
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How is the air in Fargo in winter?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 35 across 2019–2025, with 0.5% of winter days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓77.5% of winter days were Good (AQI 0–50), 22.0% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓3 days of 632 reached AQI 101+; the winter peak was 139.
- ✓Cleanest month: February; worst month: January.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Fargo in winter?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Fargo in winter was 35 (Good). 77.5% of days were Good, 22.0% Moderate, and 0.5% 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 Fargo?▾
A typical winter 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 winter days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Fargo's winter air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 57.8% of winter days in Fargo. The highest winter AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 139 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2023.
Fargo winter air quality, year by year
Fargo winter air quality by year (Fargo, ND-MN, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 90 | 35 | 0 | 73 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 91 | 37 | 0 | 65 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 90 | 33 | 0 | 84 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 90 | 37 | 1 | 111 | PM2.5 |
| 2023worst | 90 | 47 | 2 | 139 | PM2.5 |
| 2024cleanest | 91 | 32 | 0 | 68 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 90 | 33 | 0 | 56 | O3 |
What winter air means in Fargo
A typical winter 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 winter days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Winter'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 Winter AQI across every EPA metro area (278,620 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 40, so Fargo runs below the national Winter norm; 0.5% of its Winter days topped AQI 100 versus 0.6% nationally (about the same).
Within the season, February is the cleanest month (median AQI 35, 0.0% of days above 100) and January the worst (median 35, 0.9% above 100).
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 season 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.