Albany Air Quality in Fall
Across 2019–2025, Albany's fall (September–November) air quality had a median AQI of 35 (Good) over 637 monitored days in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY area. 0.5% of fall days (3 of 637) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 63.3% of days. The cleanest fall on record here was 2024 (median AQI 31, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2020 (median 51, 3 days above 100, peak AQI 143).
- Good: 75.8%
- Moderate: 23.7%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.5%
- 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
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
How is the air in Albany in fall?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 35 across 2019–2025, with 0.5% of fall days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓75.8% of fall days were Good (AQI 0–50), 23.7% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓3 days of 637 reached AQI 101+; the fall peak was 143.
- ✓Cleanest month: October; worst month: November.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Albany in fall?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Albany in fall was 35 (Good). 75.8% of days were Good, 23.7% Moderate, and 0.5% 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 Albany?▾
A typical fall day in Albany sits in the Good range (median AQI 35), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of fall days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Albany's fall air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 63.3% of fall days in Albany. The highest fall AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 143 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2020.
Albany fall air quality, year by year
Albany fall 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 | 91 | 34 | 0 | 70 | PM2.5 |
| 2020worst | 91 | 51 | 3 | 143 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 91 | 34 | 0 | 70 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 91 | 34 | 0 | 63 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 91 | 33 | 0 | 67 | PM2.5 |
| 2024cleanest | 91 | 31 | 0 | 97 | O3 |
| 2025 | 91 | 38 | 0 | 71 | PM2.5 |
What fall air means in Albany
A typical fall day in Albany sits in the Good range (median AQI 35), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of fall days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Fall's median AQI of 35 is below Albany's whole-year median of 41, making it one of the area's cleaner periods. Nationally, the median Fall AQI across every EPA metro area (296,275 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 40, so Albany runs below the national Fall norm; 0.5% of its Fall days topped AQI 100 versus 1.5% nationally (about the same).
Within the season, October is the cleanest month (median AQI 33, 0.0% of days above 100) and November the worst (median 37, 1.4% above 100).
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 season 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.