Santa Fe Air Quality in May
Across 2019–2025, Santa Fe's May air quality had a median AQI of 54 (Moderate) over 216 monitored days in the Santa Fe, NM area. 0.5% of May days (1 of 216) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 88.0% of days. The cleanest May on record here was 2023 (median AQI 50, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2019 (median 64, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 101).
- Good: 37.0%
- Moderate: 62.5%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.5%
- 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 May?
Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 54 across 2019–2025, with 0.5% of May days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓37.0% of May days were Good (AQI 0–50), 62.5% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓1 day of 216 reached AQI 101+; the May peak was 101.
- ✓Best May: 2023; worst May: 2019.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Santa Fe in May?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Santa Fe in May was 54 (Moderate). 37.0% of days were Good, 62.5% Moderate, and 0.5% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 216 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is May a good time for outdoor exercise in Santa Fe?▾
A typical May day in Santa Fe is Moderate (median AQI 54): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and fewer than 1% of May days reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
Which pollutant causes Santa Fe's May air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 88.0% of May days in Santa Fe. The highest May AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 101 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2019.
Santa Fe May air quality, year by year
Santa Fe May air quality by year (Santa Fe, NM, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019worst | 31 | 64 | 1 | 101 | O3 |
| 2020 | 31 | 58 | 0 | 90 | O3 |
| 2021 | 31 | 51 | 0 | 80 | O3 |
| 2022 | 31 | 53 | 0 | 97 | O3 |
| 2023cleanest | 30 | 50 | 0 | 80 | O3 |
| 2024 | 31 | 67 | 0 | 93 | O3 |
| 2025 | 31 | 51 | 0 | 87 | O3 |
What May air means in Santa Fe
A typical May day in Santa Fe is Moderate (median AQI 54): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and fewer than 1% of May days reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
May's median AQI of 54 is above Santa Fe's whole-year median of 44, making it one of the area's dirtier periods. Nationally, the median May AQI across every EPA metro area (104,064 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 44, so Santa Fe runs above the national May norm; 0.5% of its May days topped AQI 100 versus 1.3% nationally (about the same).
May is part of Santa Fe's spring season (March, April, May); the spring 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.