Albany Air Quality in August
Across 2019–2025, Albany's August air quality had a median AQI of 43 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY area. 0.9% of August days (2 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 63.1% of days. The cleanest August on record here was 2019 (median AQI 39, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2025 (median 45, 2 days above 100, peak AQI 133).
- Good: 64.1%
- Moderate: 35.0%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.9%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Albany
Today's main pollutant in Albany is ground-level ozone (AQI 30). 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 Albany in August?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 43 across 2019–2025, with 0.9% of August days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓64.1% of August days were Good (AQI 0–50), 35.0% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓2 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the August peak was 133.
- ✓Best August: 2019; worst August: 2025.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Albany in August?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Albany in August was 43 (Good). 64.1% of days were Good, 35.0% 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 Albany?▾
A typical August day in Albany sits in the Good range (median AQI 43), 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 Albany's August air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 63.1% of August days in Albany. The highest August AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 133 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2025.
Albany August air quality, year by year
Albany August air quality by year (Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019cleanest | 31 | 39 | 0 | 52 | O3 |
| 2020 | 31 | 50 | 0 | 59 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 31 | 44 | 0 | 63 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 31 | 43 | 0 | 74 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 31 | 42 | 0 | 65 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 31 | 52 | 0 | 87 | PM2.5 |
| 2025worst | 31 | 45 | 2 | 133 | PM2.5 |
What August air means in Albany
A typical August day in Albany sits in the Good range (median AQI 43), 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 43 is in line with Albany's whole-year median of 41, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median August AQI across every EPA metro area (104,152 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 45, so Albany 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 Albany's summer season (June, July, August); the summer page pools all three months.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Albany
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Albany's AQI at 30 (O3). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, not today's reading.
View current Albany air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY), 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.