Albany Air Quality in December
Across 2019–2025, Albany's December air quality had a median AQI of 41 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY area. 0.5% of December days (1 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 77.0% of days. The cleanest December on record here was 2022 (median AQI 38, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2024 (median 34, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 105).
- Good: 63.1%
- Moderate: 36.4%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.5%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Albany
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How is the air in Albany in December?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 41 across 2019–2025, with 0.5% of December days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓63.1% of December days were Good (AQI 0–50), 36.4% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓1 day of 217 reached AQI 101+; the December peak was 105.
- ✓Best December: 2022; worst December: 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Albany in December?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Albany in December was 41 (Good). 63.1% of days were Good, 36.4% Moderate, and 0.5% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is December a good time for outdoor exercise in Albany?▾
A typical December day in Albany sits in the Good range (median AQI 41), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of December days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Albany's December air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 77.0% of December days in Albany. The highest December AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 105 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2024.
Albany December air quality, year by year
Albany December air quality by year (Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 | 48 | 0 | 90 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 31 | 41 | 0 | 93 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 31 | 47 | 0 | 69 | PM2.5 |
| 2022cleanest | 31 | 38 | 0 | 72 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 31 | 39 | 0 | 86 | PM2.5 |
| 2024worst | 31 | 34 | 1 | 105 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 31 | 49 | 0 | 81 | PM2.5 |
What December air means in Albany
A typical December day in Albany sits in the Good range (median AQI 41), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of December days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
December's median AQI of 41 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 December AQI across every EPA metro area (95,590 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 39, so Albany runs in line with the national December norm; 0.5% of its December days topped AQI 100 versus 0.7% nationally (about the same).
December is part of Albany's winter season (December, January, February); the winter 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.