Omaha Air Quality in Spring

Across 2019–2025, Omaha's spring (March–May) air quality had a median AQI of 45 (Good) over 644 monitored days in the Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA area. 1.6% of spring days (10 of 644) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 61.6% of days. The cleanest spring on record here was 2021 (median AQI 42, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 52, 8 days above 100, peak AQI 133).

45
Median AQI
Good
1.6%
Days above AQI 100
10 of 644 days
64
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
133
Peak AQI
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
O3
Main pollutant
61.6% of days
65.1%
Good days
419 of 644
  • Good: 65.1%
  • Moderate: 33.4%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 1.6%
  • 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 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 spring?

Good on a typical day: median AQI 45 across 2019–2025, with 1.6% of spring days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.

  • 65.1% of spring days were Good (AQI 0–50), 33.4% Moderate (51–100).
  • 10 days of 644 reached AQI 101+; the spring peak was 133.
  • Cleanest month: March; worst month: May.

Frequently asked questions

What is the air quality like in Omaha in spring?

Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Omaha in spring was 45 (Good). 65.1% of days were Good, 33.4% Moderate, and 1.6% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 644 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.

Is spring a good time for outdoor exercise in Omaha?

A typical spring day in Omaha sits in the Good range (median AQI 45), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 63 of spring days (1.6%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

Which pollutant causes Omaha's spring air quality problems?

Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 61.6% of spring days in Omaha. The highest spring AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 133 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2023.

Omaha spring air quality, year by year

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

YearDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
20199246097O3
20209243094PM2.5
2021cleanest9242068O3
20229244080O3
2023worst92528133O3
202492451101O3
202592441105O3

What spring air means in Omaha

A typical spring day in Omaha sits in the Good range (median AQI 45), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 63 of spring days (1.6%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

Spring's median AQI of 45 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 Spring AQI across every EPA metro area (307,196 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 43, so Omaha runs in line with the national Spring norm; 1.6% of its Spring days topped AQI 100 versus 0.8% nationally (about the same).

Within the season, March is the cleanest month (median AQI 43, 0.0% of days above 100) and May the worst (median 47, 4.6% 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.