Syracuse Best & Worst AQI Days: Air Quality Guide
The worst air quality day on record for Syracuse (Syracuse, NY area) was June 7, 2023, when the daily AQI reached 258 (Very Unhealthy), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. Across 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025, 4 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; 9 of the 10 were driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and 1 by ground-level ozone, and 6 of them fell in 2023. The cleanest day was December 30, 2019 at AQI 9 (Good); the 10 best days span 5 different years.
Extra Protection for Syracuse Homes
Air quality in Syracuse is moderate (AQI 56), 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
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When were Syracuse's worst and best air quality days?
Worst: June 7, 2023, AQI 258 (Very Unhealthy, PM2.5). Best: December 30, 2019, AQI 9 (Good). Based on 2,557 EPA-monitored days in the Syracuse, NY area, 2019–2025.
- ✓4 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; the 10th-worst was AQI 107 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) drove 9 of the 10 worst days.
- ✓2023 accounts for 6 of the 10 worst days.
Frequently asked questions
What was the worst air quality day in Syracuse?▾
June 7, 2023: the Syracuse, NY area's daily AQI hit 258 (Very Unhealthy), driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. That is the highest of 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025.
What was the best air quality day in Syracuse?▾
December 30, 2019, with a daily AQI of 9 (Good). The daily AQI is the highest reading from any monitor in the area, so even the cleanest day reflects the area's worst monitor.
What was Syracuse's worst air quality day in 2025?▾
August 4, 2025, AQI 125 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season.
Which pollutant causes Syracuse's worst air days?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the AQI on 9 of the 10 worst days; ground-level ozone on 1. The tables above list the defining pollutant for every day.
Syracuse's 10 worst air quality days, 2019–2025
Highest daily AQI recorded for the Syracuse, NY area (EPA AQS). The daily AQI is the highest reading from any monitor in the area that day.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2023 page) | 258 | Very Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 2 | (2023 page) | 176 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 3 | (2023 page) | 174 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 4 | (2023 page) | 167 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 5 | (2025 page) | 125 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 6 | (2023 page) | 121 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 7 | (2025 page) | 120 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 8 | (2023 page) | 119 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 9 | (2021 page) | 113 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 10 | (2025 page) | 107 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
Worst day of each year in Syracuse
The single highest-AQI day in each year on record. Click a year for its full month-by-month statistics.
| Year | Worst day | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 77 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2020 | 74 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2021 | 113 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2022 | 69 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2023 | 258 | Very Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2024 | 84 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone | |
| 2025 | 125 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
Syracuse's 10 best air quality days, 2019–2025
Lowest daily AQI recorded for the Syracuse, NY area. Ties are listed most recent first.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2019 page) | 9 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 2 | (2024 page) | 14 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 3 | (2023 page) | 15 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 4 | (2021 page) | 15 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 5 | (2022 page) | 16 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 6 | (2022 page) | 16 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 7 | (2022 page) | 16 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 8 | (2021 page) | 16 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 9 | (2023 page) | 17 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 10 | (2022 page) | 17 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
Right now in Syracuse
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Syracuse's AQI at 56 (PM2.5). The days above are historical records, not today's reading.
View current Syracuse air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Syracuse, 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.