Buffalo Air Quality in Spring
Across 2019–2025, Buffalo's spring (March–May) air quality had a median AQI of 42 (Good) over 644 monitored days in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY area. 0.3% of spring days (2 of 644) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 66.8% of days. The cleanest spring on record here was 2020 (median AQI 39, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2021 (median 43, 2 days above 100, peak AQI 108).
- Good: 77.0%
- Moderate: 22.7%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.3%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Extra Protection for Buffalo Homes
Air quality in Buffalo is moderate (AQI 54), with fine particles (PM2.5) the main concern. A True-HEPA purifier gives sensitive groups — kids, seniors and anyone with asthma or allergies — cleaner air indoors on days like today.
Recommended: Coway AP-1512HH Mighty — True HEPA + carbon · CADR ~246 CFM · rooms up to 361 sq ft
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
How is the air in Buffalo in spring?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 42 across 2019–2025, with 0.3% of spring days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓77.0% of spring days were Good (AQI 0–50), 22.7% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓2 days of 644 reached AQI 101+; the spring peak was 108.
- ✓Cleanest month: March; worst month: May.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Buffalo in spring?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Buffalo in spring was 42 (Good). 77.0% of days were Good, 22.7% Moderate, and 0.3% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 644 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is spring a good time for outdoor exercise in Buffalo?▾
A typical spring day in Buffalo sits in the Good range (median AQI 42), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of spring days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Buffalo's spring air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 66.8% of spring days in Buffalo. The highest spring AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 108 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2021.
Buffalo spring air quality, year by year
Buffalo spring air quality by year (Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 92 | 44 | 0 | 67 | O3 |
| 2020cleanest | 92 | 39 | 0 | 61 | O3 |
| 2021worst | 92 | 43 | 2 | 108 | O3 |
| 2022 | 92 | 42 | 0 | 71 | O3 |
| 2023 | 92 | 47 | 0 | 97 | O3 |
| 2024 | 92 | 40 | 0 | 80 | O3 |
| 2025 | 92 | 41 | 0 | 84 | O3 |
What spring air means in Buffalo
A typical spring day in Buffalo sits in the Good range (median AQI 42), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of spring days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Spring's median AQI of 42 is in line with Buffalo's whole-year median of 44, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median Spring AQI across every EPA metro area (307,196 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 43, so Buffalo runs in line with the national Spring norm; 0.3% of its Spring days topped AQI 100 versus 0.8% nationally (about the same).
Within the season, March is the cleanest month (median AQI 42, 0.0% of days above 100) and May the worst (median 42, 0.9% above 100).
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Buffalo
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Buffalo's AQI at 54 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.
View current Buffalo air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, 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.