Erie Air Quality in May

Across 2019–2025, Erie's May air quality had a median AQI of 39 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Erie, PA area. 0.5% of May days (1 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 54.4% of days. The cleanest May on record here was 2025 (median AQI 34, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 41, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 101).

39
Median AQI
Good
0.5%
Days above AQI 100
1 of 217 days
54
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
101
Peak AQI
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
O3
Main pollutant
54.4% of days
80.6%
Good days
175 of 217
  • Good: 80.6%
  • Moderate: 18.9%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.5%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%

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QUICK ANSWER

How is the air in Erie in May?

Good on a typical day: median AQI 39 across 2019–2025, with 0.5% of May days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.

  • 80.6% of May days were Good (AQI 0–50), 18.9% Moderate (51–100).
  • 1 day of 217 reached AQI 101+; the May peak was 101.
  • Best May: 2025; worst May: 2023.

Frequently asked questions

What is the air quality like in Erie in May?

Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Erie in May was 39 (Good). 80.6% of days were Good, 18.9% Moderate, and 0.5% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.

Is May a good time for outdoor exercise in Erie?

A typical May day in Erie sits in the Good range (median AQI 39), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of May days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

Which pollutant causes Erie's May air quality problems?

Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 54.4% of May days in Erie. The highest May AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 101 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2023.

Erie May air quality, year by year

Erie May air quality by year (Erie, PA, EPA AQS daily AQI)

YearDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
20193139057PM2.5
20203136055O3
20213139071O3
20223141055PM2.5
2023worst31411101PM2.5
20243143077O3
2025cleanest3134055O3

What May air means in Erie

A typical May day in Erie sits in the Good range (median AQI 39), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of May days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

May's median AQI of 39 is in line with Erie's whole-year median of 38, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median May AQI across every EPA metro area (104,064 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 44, so Erie runs below the national May norm; 0.5% of its May days topped AQI 100 versus 1.3% nationally (about the same).

May is part of Erie's spring season (March, April, May); the spring page pools all three months.

Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.

Right now in Erie

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Erie's AQI at 40 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, 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.