Syracuse Air Quality in Summer
Across 2019–2025, Syracuse's summer (June–August) air quality had a median AQI of 43 (Good) over 644 monitored days in the Syracuse, NY area. 1.8% of summer days (12 of 644) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 58.1% of days. The cleanest summer on record here was 2022 (median AQI 39, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 47, 7 days above 100, peak AQI 258).
- Good: 70.0%
- Moderate: 28.1%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 1.2%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.6%
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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How is the air in Syracuse in summer?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 43 across 2019–2025, with 1.8% of summer days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓70.0% of summer days were Good (AQI 0–50), 28.1% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓12 days of 644 reached AQI 101+; the summer peak was 258.
- ✓Cleanest month: August; worst month: June.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Syracuse in summer?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Syracuse in summer was 43 (Good). 70.0% of days were Good, 28.1% Moderate, and 1.8% 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 Syracuse?▾
A typical summer day in Syracuse sits in the Good range (median AQI 43), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 56 of summer days (1.8%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Syracuse's summer air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 58.1% of summer days in Syracuse. The highest summer AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 258 (Very Unhealthy), in 2023.
Syracuse summer air quality, year by year
Syracuse summer air quality by year (Syracuse, NY, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 92 | 40 | 0 | 77 | O3 |
| 2020 | 92 | 41 | 0 | 74 | O3 |
| 2021 | 92 | 45 | 1 | 113 | PM2.5 |
| 2022cleanest | 92 | 39 | 0 | 67 | O3 |
| 2023worst | 92 | 47 | 7 | 258 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 92 | 44 | 0 | 77 | O3 |
| 2025 | 92 | 44 | 4 | 125 | O3 |
What summer air means in Syracuse
A typical summer day in Syracuse sits in the Good range (median AQI 43), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 56 of summer days (1.8%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Summer's median AQI of 43 is above Syracuse's whole-year median of 38, 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 Syracuse runs in line with the national Summer norm; 1.8% of its Summer days topped AQI 100 versus 3.6% nationally (below average).
Within the season, August is the cleanest month (median AQI 39, 1.4% of days above 100) and June the worst (median 44, 2.9% above 100).
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Syracuse
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Syracuse's AQI at 56 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, 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.