Scranton Best & Worst AQI Days: Air Quality Guide
The worst air quality day on record for Scranton (Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA area) was June 7, 2023, when the daily AQI reached 292 (Very Unhealthy), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. Across 2,548 monitored days in 2019–2025, 5 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 7 of them fell in 2023. The cleanest day was March 16, 2021 at AQI 2 (Good); the 10 best days span 5 different years.
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When were Scranton's worst and best air quality days?
Worst: June 7, 2023, AQI 292 (Very Unhealthy, PM2.5). Best: March 16, 2021, AQI 2 (Good). Based on 2,548 EPA-monitored days in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA area, 2019–2025.
- ✓5 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; the 10th-worst was AQI 116 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) drove 9 of the 10 worst days.
- ✓2023 accounts for 7 of the 10 worst days.
Frequently asked questions
What was the worst air quality day in Scranton?▾
June 7, 2023: the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA area's daily AQI hit 292 (Very Unhealthy), driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. That is the highest of 2,548 monitored days in 2019–2025.
What was the best air quality day in Scranton?▾
March 16, 2021, with a daily AQI of 2 (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 Scranton's worst air quality day in 2025?▾
August 4, 2025, AQI 117 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season.
Which pollutant causes Scranton'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.
Scranton's 10 worst air quality days, 2019–2025
Highest daily AQI recorded for the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, 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) | 292 | Very Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 2 | (2023 page) | 184 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 3 | (2023 page) | 177 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 4 | (2023 page) | 175 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 5 | (2023 page) | 173 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 6 | (2023 page) | 149 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 7 | (2021 page) | 137 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 8 | (2023 page) | 133 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 9 | (2025 page) | 117 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 10 | (2025 page) | 116 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
Worst day of each year in Scranton
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 | 87 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2020 | 83 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2021 | 137 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2022 | 74 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2023 | 292 | Very Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2024 | 97 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2025 | 117 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
Scranton's 10 best air quality days, 2019–2025
Lowest daily AQI recorded for the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA area. Ties are listed most recent first.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2021 page) | 2 | Good | CO — carbon monoxide |
| 2 | (2022 page) | 5 | Good | CO — carbon monoxide |
| 3 | (2022 page) | 5 | Good | CO — carbon monoxide |
| 4 | (2022 page) | 11 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 5 | (2024 page) | 13 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 6 | (2019 page) | 13 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 7 | (2024 page) | 14 | Good | NO2 — nitrogen dioxide |
| 8 | (2021 page) | 14 | Good | NO2 — nitrogen dioxide |
| 9 | (2022 page) | 15 | Good | NO2 — nitrogen dioxide |
| 10 | (2023 page) | 16 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Right now in Scranton
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Scranton's AQI at 42 (PM2.5). The days above are historical records, not today's reading.
View current Scranton air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, 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.