Scranton Air Quality in January
Across 2019–2025, Scranton's January air quality had a median AQI of 38 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA area. 0.0% of January days (0 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 63.6% of days. The cleanest January on record here was 2024 (median AQI 32, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2022 (median 49, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 74).
- Good: 74.2%
- Moderate: 25.8%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
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How is the air in Scranton in January?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 38 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of January days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓74.2% of January days were Good (AQI 0–50), 25.8% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓0 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the January peak was 80.
- ✓Best January: 2024; worst January: 2022.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Scranton in January?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Scranton in January was 38 (Good). 74.2% of days were Good, 25.8% Moderate, and 0.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is January a good time for outdoor exercise in Scranton?▾
A typical January day in Scranton 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 January days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Scranton's January air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 63.6% of January days in Scranton. The highest January AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 80 (Moderate), in 2022.
Scranton January air quality, year by year
Scranton January air quality by year (Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 | 35 | 0 | 51 | O3 |
| 2020 | 31 | 39 | 0 | 72 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 31 | 36 | 0 | 80 | PM2.5 |
| 2022worst | 31 | 49 | 0 | 74 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 31 | 38 | 0 | 55 | PM2.5 |
| 2024cleanest | 31 | 32 | 0 | 68 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 31 | 35 | 0 | 69 | O3 |
What January air means in Scranton
A typical January day in Scranton 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 January days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
January's median AQI of 38 is in line with Scranton's whole-year median of 41, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median January AQI across every EPA metro area (95,602 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 39, so Scranton runs in line with the national January norm; 0.0% of its January days topped AQI 100 versus 0.7% nationally (about the same).
January is part of Scranton's winter season (December, January, February); the winter page pools all three months.
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 month 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.