Omaha Air Quality in May
Across 2019–2025, Omaha's May air quality had a median AQI of 47 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA area. 4.6% of May days (10 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 77.4% of days. The cleanest May on record here was 2021 (median AQI 40, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 90, 8 days above 100, peak AQI 133).
- Good: 59.4%
- Moderate: 35.9%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 4.6%
- 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.
Recommended: Levoit Core 300 — True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft
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How is the air in Omaha in May?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 47 across 2019–2025, with 4.6% of May days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓59.4% of May days were Good (AQI 0–50), 35.9% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓10 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the May peak was 133.
- ✓Best May: 2021; worst May: 2023.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Omaha in May?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Omaha in May was 47 (Good). 59.4% of days were Good, 35.9% Moderate, and 4.6% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is May a good time for outdoor exercise in Omaha?▾
A typical May day in Omaha 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 22 of May days (4.6%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Omaha's May air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 77.4% of May days in Omaha. The highest May AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 133 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2023.
Omaha May air quality, year by year
Omaha May 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 | 42 | 0 | 97 | O3 |
| 2020 | 31 | 46 | 0 | 63 | PM2.5 |
| 2021cleanest | 31 | 40 | 0 | 61 | O3 |
| 2022 | 31 | 47 | 0 | 80 | O3 |
| 2023worst | 31 | 90 | 8 | 133 | O3 |
| 2024 | 31 | 50 | 1 | 101 | O3 |
| 2025 | 31 | 48 | 1 | 105 | O3 |
What May air means in Omaha
A typical May day in Omaha 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 22 of May days (4.6%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
May's median AQI of 47 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 May AQI across every EPA metro area (104,064 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 44, so Omaha runs in line with the national May norm; 4.6% of its May days topped AQI 100 versus 1.3% nationally (above average).
May is part of Omaha's spring season (March, April, May); the spring 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.