Albany Air Quality in October
Across 2019–2025, Albany's October air quality had a median AQI of 33 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY area. 0.0% of October days (0 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 October on record here was 2023 (median AQI 30, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2020 (median 49, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 67).
- Good: 79.3%
- Moderate: 20.7%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
- 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 October?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 33 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of October days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓79.3% of October days were Good (AQI 0–50), 20.7% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓0 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the October peak was 77.
- ✓Best October: 2023; worst October: 2020.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Albany in October?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Albany in October was 33 (Good). 79.3% of days were Good, 20.7% Moderate, and 0.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is October a good time for outdoor exercise in Albany?▾
A typical October day in Albany sits in the Good range (median AQI 33), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of October days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Albany's October air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 63.1% of October days in Albany. The highest October AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 77 (Moderate), in 2020.
Albany October air quality, year by year
Albany October 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 | 31 | 0 | 59 | PM2.5 |
| 2020worst | 31 | 49 | 0 | 67 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 31 | 36 | 0 | 53 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 31 | 36 | 0 | 63 | PM2.5 |
| 2023cleanest | 31 | 30 | 0 | 58 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 77 | O3 |
| 2025 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 63 | PM2.5 |
What October air means in Albany
A typical October day in Albany sits in the Good range (median AQI 33), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of October days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
October's median AQI of 33 is below Albany's whole-year median of 41, making it one of the area's cleaner periods. Nationally, the median October AQI across every EPA metro area (102,872 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 38, so Albany runs below the national October norm; 0.0% of its October days topped AQI 100 versus 1.3% nationally (below average).
October is part of Albany's fall season (September, October, November); the fall 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.