Scranton Air Quality in Fall

Across 2019–2025, Scranton's fall (September–November) air quality had a median AQI of 36 (Good) over 637 monitored days in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA area. 0.0% of fall days (0 of 637) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 53.7% of days. The cleanest fall on record here was 2019 (median AQI 35, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2021 (median 37, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 62).

36
Median AQI
Good
0.0%
Days above AQI 100
0 of 637 days
54
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
77
Peak AQI
Moderate
PM2.5
Main pollutant
53.7% of days
81.5%
Good days
519 of 637
  • Good: 81.5%
  • Moderate: 18.5%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%

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QUICK ANSWER

How is the air in Scranton in fall?

Good on a typical day: median AQI 36 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of fall days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.

  • 81.5% of fall days were Good (AQI 0–50), 18.5% Moderate (51–100).
  • 0 days of 637 reached AQI 101+; the fall peak was 77.
  • Cleanest month: October; worst month: September.

Frequently asked questions

What is the air quality like in Scranton in fall?

Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Scranton in fall was 36 (Good). 81.5% of days were Good, 18.5% Moderate, and 0.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 637 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.

Is fall a good time for outdoor exercise in Scranton?

A typical fall day in Scranton sits in the Good range (median AQI 36), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of fall days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

Which pollutant causes Scranton's fall air quality problems?

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 53.7% of fall days in Scranton. The highest fall AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 77 (Moderate), in 2021.

Scranton fall air quality, year by year

Scranton fall air quality by year (Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA, EPA AQS daily AQI)

YearDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
2019cleanest9135077O3
20209136069PM2.5
2021worst9137062PM2.5
20229136064PM2.5
20239135069PM2.5
20249135074O3
20259136076O3

What fall air means in Scranton

A typical fall day in Scranton sits in the Good range (median AQI 36), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of fall days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

Fall's median AQI of 36 is below Scranton's whole-year median of 41, making it one of the area's cleaner periods. Nationally, the median Fall AQI across every EPA metro area (296,275 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 40, so Scranton runs below the national Fall norm; 0.0% of its Fall days topped AQI 100 versus 1.5% nationally (below average).

Within the season, October is the cleanest month (median AQI 33, 0.0% of days above 100) and September the worst (median 37, 0.0% above 100).

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

Right now in Scranton

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Scranton's AQI at 42 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, 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.