Erie Air Quality in Winter

Across 2019–2025, Erie's winter (December–February) air quality had a median AQI of 38 (Good) over 598 monitored days in the Erie, PA area. 0.0% of winter days (0 of 598) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 73.1% of days. The cleanest winter on record here was 2025 (median AQI 34, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2019 (median 41, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 69).

38
Median AQI
Good
0.0%
Days above AQI 100
0 of 598 days
57
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
87
Peak AQI
Moderate
PM2.5
Main pollutant
73.1% of days
72.9%
Good days
436 of 598
  • Good: 72.9%
  • Moderate: 27.1%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%

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QUICK ANSWER

How is the air in Erie in winter?

Good on a typical day: median AQI 38 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of winter days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.

  • 72.9% of winter days were Good (AQI 0–50), 27.1% Moderate (51–100).
  • 0 days of 598 reached AQI 101+; the winter peak was 87.
  • Cleanest month: January; worst month: February.

Frequently asked questions

What is the air quality like in Erie in winter?

Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Erie in winter was 38 (Good). 72.9% of days were Good, 27.1% Moderate, and 0.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 598 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.

Is winter a good time for outdoor exercise in Erie?

A typical winter day in Erie sits in the Good range (median AQI 38), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of winter days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

Which pollutant causes Erie's winter air quality problems?

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 73.1% of winter days in Erie. The highest winter AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 87 (Moderate), in 2019.

Erie winter air quality, year by year

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

YearDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
2019worst9041069PM2.5
20208835069PM2.5
20215940087PM2.5
20229039073PM2.5
20239039075PM2.5
20249138065PM2.5
2025cleanest9034069PM2.5

What winter air means in Erie

A typical winter day in Erie sits in the Good range (median AQI 38), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of winter days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

Winter's median AQI of 38 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 Winter AQI across every EPA metro area (278,620 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 40, so Erie runs in line with the national Winter norm; 0.0% of its Winter days topped AQI 100 versus 0.6% nationally (about the same).

Within the season, January is the cleanest month (median AQI 35, 0.0% of days above 100) and February the worst (median 39, 0.0% above 100).

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 season 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.