Reno Air Quality in Summer

Across 2019–2025, Reno's summer (June–August) air quality had a median AQI of 58 (Moderate) over 644 monitored days in the Reno, NV area. 7.4% of summer days (48 of 644) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 85.7% of days. The cleanest summer on record here was 2019 (median AQI 51, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2021 (median 79, 29 days above 100, peak AQI 333).

58
Median AQI
Moderate
7.4%
Days above AQI 100
48 of 644 days
93
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
333
Peak AQI
Hazardous
O3
Main pollutant
85.7% of days
35.9%
Good days
231 of 644
  • Good: 35.9%
  • Moderate: 56.7%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 3.7%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 3.7%

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QUICK ANSWER

How is the air in Reno in summer?

Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 58 across 2019–2025, with 7.4% of summer days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.

  • 35.9% of summer days were Good (AQI 0–50), 56.7% Moderate (51–100).
  • 48 days of 644 reached AQI 101+; the summer peak was 333.
  • Cleanest month: June; worst month: August.

Frequently asked questions

What is the air quality like in Reno in summer?

Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Reno in summer was 58 (Moderate). 35.9% of days were Good, 56.7% Moderate, and 7.4% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 644 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.

Is summer a good time for outdoor exercise in Reno?

A typical summer day in Reno is Moderate (median AQI 58): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 14 of summer days (7.4%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.

Which pollutant causes Reno's summer air quality problems?

Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 85.7% of summer days in Reno. The highest summer AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 333 (Hazardous), in 2021.

Reno summer air quality, year by year

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

YearDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
2019cleanest9251097O3
2020925412169O3
2021worst927929333O3
202292511115O3
20239252097O3
202492674119O3
202592582112O3

What summer air means in Reno

A typical summer day in Reno is Moderate (median AQI 58): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 14 of summer days (7.4%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.

Summer's median AQI of 58 is above Reno's whole-year median of 50, making it one of the area's dirtier periods. Nationally, the median Summer AQI across every EPA metro area (308,645 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 46, so Reno runs above the national Summer norm; 7.4% of its Summer days topped AQI 100 versus 3.6% nationally (above average).

Within the season, June is the cleanest month (median AQI 51, 1.9% of days above 100) and August the worst (median 58, 15.7% 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.