Erie Best & Worst AQI Days: Air Quality Guide
The worst air quality day on record for Erie (Erie, PA area) was June 28, 2023, when the daily AQI reached 180 (Unhealthy), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. Across 2,517 monitored days in 2019–2025, 3 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; 7 of the 10 were driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and 3 by ground-level ozone, and 9 of them fell in 2023. The cleanest day was April 18, 2023 at AQI 0 (Good); the 10 best days span 5 different years.
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When were Erie's worst and best air quality days?
Worst: June 28, 2023, AQI 180 (Unhealthy, PM2.5). Best: April 18, 2023, AQI 0 (Good). Based on 2,517 EPA-monitored days in the Erie, PA area, 2019–2025.
- ✓3 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; the 10th-worst was AQI 101 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) drove 7 of the 10 worst days.
- ✓2023 accounts for 9 of the 10 worst days.
Frequently asked questions
What was the worst air quality day in Erie?▾
June 28, 2023: the Erie, PA area's daily AQI hit 180 (Unhealthy), driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. That is the highest of 2,517 monitored days in 2019–2025.
What was the best air quality day in Erie?▾
April 18, 2023, with a daily AQI of 0 (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 Erie's worst air quality day in 2025?▾
August 4, 2025, AQI 149 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season.
Which pollutant causes Erie's worst air days?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the AQI on 7 of the 10 worst days; ground-level ozone on 3. The tables above list the defining pollutant for every day.
Erie's 10 worst air quality days, 2019–2025
Highest daily AQI recorded for the Erie, PA 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) | 180 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 2 | (2023 page) | 154 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 3 | (2023 page) | 152 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 4 | (2025 page) | 149 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 5 | (2023 page) | 137 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 6 | (2023 page) | 129 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 7 | (2023 page) | 108 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 8 | (2023 page) | 103 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 9 | (2023 page) | 102 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 10 | (2023 page) | 101 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone |
Worst day of each year in Erie
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 | 93 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2020 | 87 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone | |
| 2021 | 92 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2022 | 90 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2023 | 180 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2024 | 93 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2025 | 149 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
Erie's 10 best air quality days, 2019–2025
Lowest daily AQI recorded for the Erie, PA area. Ties are listed most recent first.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2023 page) | 0 | Good | CO — carbon monoxide |
| 2 | (2021 page) | 0 | Good | CO — carbon monoxide |
| 3 | (2020 page) | 0 | Good | CO — carbon monoxide |
| 4 | (2019 page) | 0 | Good | CO — carbon monoxide |
| 5 | (2019 page) | 0 | Good | CO — carbon monoxide |
| 6 | (2025 page) | 1 | Good | CO — carbon monoxide |
| 7 | (2020 page) | 1 | Good | CO — carbon monoxide |
| 8 | (2021 page) | 2 | Good | CO — carbon monoxide |
| 9 | (2020 page) | 3 | Good | CO — carbon monoxide |
| 10 | (2025 page) | 4 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Right now in Erie
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Erie's AQI at 40 (PM2.5). The days above are historical records, not today's reading.
View current Erie air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Erie, PA), 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.