Santa Fe Air Quality in August
Across 2019–2025, Santa Fe's August air quality had a median AQI of 48 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Santa Fe, NM area. 0.9% of August days (2 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 94.5% of days. The cleanest August on record here was 2023 (median AQI 47, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2020 (median 49, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 101).
- Good: 62.2%
- Moderate: 36.9%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.9%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Santa Fe
Today's main pollutant in Santa Fe is ground-level ozone (AQI 35). 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 Santa Fe in August?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 48 across 2019–2025, with 0.9% of August days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓62.2% of August days were Good (AQI 0–50), 36.9% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓2 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the August peak was 113.
- ✓Best August: 2023; worst August: 2020.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Santa Fe in August?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Santa Fe in August was 48 (Good). 62.2% of days were Good, 36.9% Moderate, and 0.9% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is August a good time for outdoor exercise in Santa Fe?▾
A typical August day in Santa Fe sits in the Good range (median AQI 48), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of August days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Santa Fe's August air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 94.5% of August days in Santa Fe. The highest August AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 113 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2020.
Santa Fe August air quality, year by year
Santa Fe August air quality by year (Santa Fe, NM, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 | 49 | 0 | 77 | O3 |
| 2020worst | 31 | 49 | 1 | 101 | O3 |
| 2021 | 31 | 48 | 1 | 113 | O3 |
| 2022 | 31 | 50 | 0 | 97 | O3 |
| 2023cleanest | 31 | 47 | 0 | 68 | O3 |
| 2024 | 31 | 49 | 0 | 93 | O3 |
| 2025 | 31 | 47 | 0 | 61 | O3 |
What August air means in Santa Fe
A typical August day in Santa Fe sits in the Good range (median AQI 48), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of August days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
August's median AQI of 48 is above Santa Fe's whole-year median of 44, making it one of the area's dirtier periods. Nationally, the median August AQI across every EPA metro area (104,152 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 45, so Santa Fe runs in line with the national August norm; 0.9% of its August days topped AQI 100 versus 3.5% nationally (below average).
August is part of Santa Fe's summer season (June, July, August); the summer page pools all three months.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Santa Fe
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Santa Fe's AQI at 35 (O3). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, not today's reading.
View current Santa Fe air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Santa Fe, 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.