Omaha Air Quality in Winter
Across 2019–2025, Omaha's winter (December–February) air quality had a median AQI of 45 (Good) over 632 monitored days in the Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA area. 0.0% of winter days (0 of 632) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 79.7% of days. The cleanest winter on record here was 2023 (median AQI 39, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2019 (median 52, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 81).
- Good: 58.9%
- Moderate: 41.1%
- 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.
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 winter?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 45 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of winter days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓58.9% of winter days were Good (AQI 0–50), 41.1% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓0 days of 632 reached AQI 101+; the winter peak was 98.
- ✓Cleanest month: December; worst month: January.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Omaha in winter?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Omaha in winter was 45 (Good). 58.9% of days were Good, 41.1% Moderate, and 0.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 632 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is winter a good time for outdoor exercise in Omaha?▾
A typical winter 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; fewer than 1% of winter days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Omaha's winter air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 79.7% of winter days in Omaha. The highest winter AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 98 (Moderate), in 2019.
Omaha winter air quality, year by year
Omaha winter 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019worst | 90 | 52 | 0 | 81 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 91 | 44 | 0 | 78 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 90 | 45 | 0 | 87 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 90 | 41 | 0 | 79 | PM2.5 |
| 2023cleanest | 90 | 39 | 0 | 98 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 91 | 48 | 0 | 82 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 90 | 45 | 0 | 72 | PM2.5 |
What winter air means in Omaha
A typical winter 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; fewer than 1% of winter days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Winter'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 Winter AQI across every EPA metro area (278,620 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 40, so Omaha runs above the national Winter norm; 0.0% of its Winter days topped AQI 100 versus 0.6% nationally (about the same).
Within the season, December is the cleanest month (median AQI 44, 0.0% of days above 100) and January the worst (median 48, 0.0% 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.