Albany Air Quality in Summer
Across 2019–2025, Albany's summer (June–August) air quality had a median AQI of 46 (Good) over 644 monitored days in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY area. 2.2% of summer days (14 of 644) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 61.3% of days. The cleanest summer on record here was 2019 (median AQI 41, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 50, 7 days above 100, peak AQI 186).
- Good: 58.2%
- Moderate: 39.6%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 1.7%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.5%
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 summer?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 46 across 2019–2025, with 2.2% of summer days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓58.2% of summer days were Good (AQI 0–50), 39.6% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓14 days of 644 reached AQI 101+; the summer peak was 186.
- ✓Cleanest month: August; worst month: July.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Albany in summer?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Albany in summer was 46 (Good). 58.2% of days were Good, 39.6% Moderate, and 2.2% 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 Albany?▾
A typical summer day in Albany sits in the Good range (median AQI 46), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 45 of summer days (2.2%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Albany's summer air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 61.3% of summer days in Albany. The highest summer AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 186 (Unhealthy), in 2023.
Albany summer air quality, year by year
Albany summer 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 | 92 | 41 | 0 | 74 | O3 |
| 2020 | 92 | 49 | 0 | 78 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 92 | 45 | 2 | 118 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 92 | 43 | 0 | 74 | O3 |
| 2023worst | 92 | 50 | 7 | 186 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 92 | 50 | 0 | 100 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 92 | 53 | 5 | 136 | PM2.5 |
What summer air means in Albany
A typical summer day in Albany sits in the Good range (median AQI 46), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 45 of summer days (2.2%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Summer's median AQI of 46 is above Albany's whole-year median of 41, 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 Albany runs in line with the national Summer norm; 2.2% of its Summer days topped AQI 100 versus 3.6% nationally (below average).
Within the season, August is the cleanest month (median AQI 43, 0.9% of days above 100) and July the worst (median 51, 2.8% 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.