Reno Air Quality in Fall

Across 2019–2025, Reno's fall (September–November) air quality had a median AQI of 50 (Good) over 637 monitored days in the Reno, NV area. 3.9% of fall days (25 of 637) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 50.1% of days. The cleanest fall on record here was 2019 (median AQI 45, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2020 (median 54, 12 days above 100, peak AQI 265).

50
Median AQI
Good
3.9%
Days above AQI 100
25 of 637 days
74
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
265
Peak AQI
Very Unhealthy
O3
Main pollutant
50.1% of days
52.1%
Good days
332 of 637
  • Good: 52.1%
  • Moderate: 44.0%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 1.4%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 2.5%

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QUICK ANSWER

How is the air in Reno in fall?

Good on a typical day: median AQI 50 across 2019–2025, with 3.9% of fall days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.

  • 52.1% of fall days were Good (AQI 0–50), 44.0% Moderate (51–100).
  • 25 days of 637 reached AQI 101+; the fall peak was 265.
  • Cleanest month: November; worst month: September.

Frequently asked questions

What is the air quality like in Reno in fall?

Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Reno in fall was 50 (Good). 52.1% of days were Good, 44.0% Moderate, and 3.9% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 637 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.

Is fall a good time for outdoor exercise in Reno?

A typical fall day in Reno sits in the Good range (median AQI 50), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 26 of fall days (3.9%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

Which pollutant causes Reno's fall air quality problems?

Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 50.1% of fall days in Reno. The highest fall AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 265 (Very Unhealthy), in 2020.

Reno fall air quality, year by year

Reno fall air quality by year (Reno, NV, EPA AQS daily AQI)

YearDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
2019cleanest9145074O3
2020worst915412265PM2.5
202191515134O3
202291528259PM2.5
20239146071O3
20249150087O3
20259147086O3

What fall air means in Reno

A typical fall day in Reno sits in the Good range (median AQI 50), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 26 of fall days (3.9%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

Fall's median AQI of 50 is in line with Reno's whole-year median of 50, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median Fall AQI across every EPA metro area (296,275 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 40, so Reno runs above the national Fall norm; 3.9% of its Fall days topped AQI 100 versus 1.5% nationally (above average).

Within the season, November is the cleanest month (median AQI 52, 0.0% of days above 100) and September the worst (median 52, 11.4% above 100).

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

Right now in Reno

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Reno's AQI at 64 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.

View current Reno air quality →

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