Omaha Air Quality in January
Across 2019–2025, Omaha's January air quality had a median AQI of 48 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA area. 0.0% of January days (0 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 85.3% of days. The cleanest January on record here was 2022 (median AQI 42, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2020 (median 53, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 67).
- Good: 53.0%
- Moderate: 47.0%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
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.
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How is the air in Omaha in January?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 48 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of January days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓53.0% of January days were Good (AQI 0–50), 47.0% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓0 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the January peak was 98.
- ✓Best January: 2022; worst January: 2020.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Omaha in January?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Omaha in January was 48 (Good). 53.0% of days were Good, 47.0% Moderate, and 0.0% 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 Omaha?▾
A typical January day in Omaha sits in the Good range (median AQI 48), 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 Omaha's January air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 85.3% of January days in Omaha. The highest January AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 98 (Moderate), in 2020.
Omaha January air quality, year by year
Omaha January air quality by year (Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 | 48 | 0 | 78 | PM2.5 |
| 2020worst | 31 | 53 | 0 | 67 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 31 | 44 | 0 | 87 | PM2.5 |
| 2022cleanest | 31 | 42 | 0 | 61 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 31 | 51 | 0 | 98 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 31 | 52 | 0 | 63 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 31 | 46 | 0 | 67 | PM2.5 |
What January air means in Omaha
A typical January day in Omaha sits in the Good range (median AQI 48), 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 48 is in line with Omaha's whole-year median of 47, 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 Omaha runs above the national January norm; 0.0% of its January days topped AQI 100 versus 0.7% nationally (about the same).
January is part of Omaha's winter season (December, January, February); the winter page pools all three months.
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 month 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.