Albuquerque Air Quality in Spring

Across 2019–2025, Albuquerque's spring (March–May) air quality had a median AQI of 57 (Moderate) over 644 monitored days in the Albuquerque, NM area. 4.8% of spring days (31 of 644) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 68.3% of days. The cleanest spring on record here was 2019 (median AQI 50, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2022 (median 63, 12 days above 100, peak AQI 825).

57
Median AQI
Moderate
4.8%
Days above AQI 100
31 of 644 days
87
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
825
Peak AQI
Hazardous
O3
Main pollutant
68.3% of days
33.5%
Good days
216 of 644
  • Good: 33.5%
  • Moderate: 61.6%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 3.6%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 1.2%

Reduce Indoor Ozone in Albuquerque

Today's main pollutant in Albuquerque is ground-level ozone (AQI 39). 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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QUICK ANSWER

How is the air in Albuquerque in spring?

Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 57 across 2019–2025, with 4.8% of spring days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.

  • 33.5% of spring days were Good (AQI 0–50), 61.6% Moderate (51–100).
  • 31 days of 644 reached AQI 101+; the spring peak was 825.
  • Cleanest month: March; worst month: May.

Frequently asked questions

What is the air quality like in Albuquerque in spring?

Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Albuquerque in spring was 57 (Moderate). 33.5% of days were Good, 61.6% Moderate, and 4.8% 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 Albuquerque?

A typical spring day in Albuquerque is Moderate (median AQI 57): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 21 of spring days (4.8%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.

Which pollutant causes Albuquerque's spring air quality problems?

Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 68.3% of spring days in Albuquerque. The highest spring AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 825 (Hazardous), in 2022.

Albuquerque spring air quality, year by year

Albuquerque spring air quality by year (Albuquerque, NM, EPA AQS daily AQI)

YearDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
2019cleanest9250093O3
20209251093O3
202192575135PM10
2022worst926312825O3
202392582207O3
202492585443O3
202592647204O3

What spring air means in Albuquerque

A typical spring day in Albuquerque is Moderate (median AQI 57): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 21 of spring days (4.8%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.

Spring's median AQI of 57 is below Albuquerque's whole-year median of 61, making it one of the area's cleaner periods. Nationally, the median Spring AQI across every EPA metro area (307,196 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 43, so Albuquerque runs above the national Spring norm; 4.8% of its Spring days topped AQI 100 versus 0.8% nationally (above average).

Within the season, March is the cleanest month (median AQI 48, 3.6% of days above 100) and May the worst (median 68, 6.9% above 100).

Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.

Right now in Albuquerque

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Albuquerque's AQI at 39 (O3). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.

View current Albuquerque air quality →

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Albuquerque, NM), 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.