Omaha Air Quality in Summer
Across 2019–2025, Omaha's summer (June–August) air quality had a median AQI of 52 (Moderate) over 644 monitored days in the Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA area. 4.0% of summer days (26 of 644) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 56.8% of days. The cleanest summer on record here was 2019 (median AQI 46, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 59, 15 days above 100, peak AQI 169).
- Good: 45.8%
- Moderate: 50.2%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 3.7%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.3%
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 summer?
Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 52 across 2019–2025, with 4.0% of summer days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓45.8% of summer days were Good (AQI 0–50), 50.2% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓26 days of 644 reached AQI 101+; the summer peak was 169.
- ✓Cleanest month: August; worst month: June.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Omaha in summer?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Omaha in summer was 52 (Moderate). 45.8% of days were Good, 50.2% Moderate, and 4.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 644 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is summer a good time for outdoor exercise in Omaha?▾
A typical summer day in Omaha is Moderate (median AQI 52): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 25 of summer days (4.0%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
Which pollutant causes Omaha's summer air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 56.8% of summer days in Omaha. The highest summer AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 169 (Unhealthy), in 2023.
Omaha summer air quality, year by year
Omaha summer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019cleanest | 92 | 46 | 0 | 84 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 92 | 49 | 2 | 157 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 92 | 57 | 5 | 150 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 92 | 50 | 1 | 108 | O3 |
| 2023worst | 92 | 59 | 15 | 169 | O3 |
| 2024 | 92 | 54 | 1 | 110 | O3 |
| 2025 | 92 | 47 | 2 | 137 | O3 |
What summer air means in Omaha
A typical summer day in Omaha is Moderate (median AQI 52): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 25 of summer days (4.0%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
Summer's median AQI of 52 is above Omaha's whole-year median of 47, making it one of the area's dirtier periods. Nationally, the median Summer AQI across every EPA metro area (308,645 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 46, so Omaha runs above the national Summer norm; 4.0% of its Summer days topped AQI 100 versus 3.6% nationally (about the same).
Within the season, August is the cleanest month (median AQI 48, 0.9% of days above 100) and June the worst (median 54, 8.6% 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.