Omaha Air Quality in Fall

Across 2019–2025, Omaha's fall (September–November) air quality had a median AQI of 43 (Good) over 637 monitored days in the Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA area. 0.4% of fall days (2 of 637) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 62.0% of days. The cleanest fall on record here was 2022 (median AQI 40, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 48, 2 days above 100, peak AQI 154).

43
Median AQI
Good
0.4%
Days above AQI 100
2 of 637 days
60
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
154
Peak AQI
Unhealthy
PM2.5
Main pollutant
62.0% of days
66.1%
Good days
421 of 637
  • Good: 66.1%
  • Moderate: 33.6%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.2%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.2%

Reduce Indoor Ozone in Omaha

Today's main pollutant in Omaha is ground-level ozone (AQI 10). Important: standard HEPA filters do NOT remove ozone — only a purifier with a substantial activated-carbon bed adsorbs it. The biggest wins are cutting indoor sources (gas appliances, certain "ionizer" purifiers) and ventilating when outdoor ozone is low (early morning). A high-carbon unit helps with the gases and VOCs that linger indoors.

Recommended: Levoit Core 300True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft

Check Price on Amazon →

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

QUICK ANSWER

How is the air in Omaha in fall?

Good on a typical day: median AQI 43 across 2019–2025, with 0.4% of fall days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.

  • 66.1% of fall days were Good (AQI 0–50), 33.6% Moderate (51–100).
  • 2 days of 637 reached AQI 101+; the fall peak was 154.
  • Cleanest month: November; worst month: September.

Frequently asked questions

What is the air quality like in Omaha in fall?

Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Omaha in fall was 43 (Good). 66.1% of days were Good, 33.6% Moderate, and 0.4% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 637 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.

Is fall a good time for outdoor exercise in Omaha?

A typical fall day in Omaha sits in the Good range (median AQI 43), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of fall days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

Which pollutant causes Omaha's fall air quality problems?

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 62.0% of fall days in Omaha. The highest fall AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 154 (Unhealthy), in 2023.

Omaha fall air quality, year by year

Omaha fall air quality by year (Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA, EPA AQS daily AQI)

YearDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
20199142064PM2.5
20209147076PM2.5
20219142061PM2.5
2022cleanest9140087PM2.5
2023worst91482154PM2.5
20249148084PM2.5
20259141074PM2.5

What fall air means in Omaha

A typical fall day in Omaha sits in the Good range (median AQI 43), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of fall days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

Fall's median AQI of 43 is below Omaha's whole-year median of 47, making it one of the area's cleaner periods. Nationally, the median Fall AQI across every EPA metro area (296,275 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 40, so Omaha runs in line with the national Fall norm; 0.4% of its Fall days topped AQI 100 versus 1.5% nationally (below average).

Within the season, November is the cleanest month (median AQI 36, 0.0% of days above 100) and September the worst (median 47, 1.0% above 100).

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

Right now in Omaha

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Omaha's AQI at 10 (O3). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.

View current Omaha air quality →

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA), 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.