Scranton Air Quality in Summer

Across 2019–2025, Scranton's summer (June–August) air quality had a median AQI of 47 (Good) over 644 monitored days in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA area. 1.6% of summer days (10 of 644) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 53.0% of days. The cleanest summer on record here was 2019 (median AQI 42, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 52, 6 days above 100, peak AQI 292).

47
Median AQI
Good
1.6%
Days above AQI 100
10 of 644 days
65
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
292
Peak AQI
Very Unhealthy
O3
Main pollutant
53.0% of days
60.4%
Good days
389 of 644
  • Good: 60.4%
  • Moderate: 38.0%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.8%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.8%

Improve Indoor Air Quality

Even with good outdoor air in Scranton, indoor PM2.5, dust and allergens build up. A True-HEPA purifier keeps a bedroom or office consistently clean.

Recommended: Levoit Core 400STrue HEPA · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft

Check Price on Amazon →

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

QUICK ANSWER

How is the air in Scranton in summer?

Good on a typical day: median AQI 47 across 2019–2025, with 1.6% of summer days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.

  • 60.4% of summer days were Good (AQI 0–50), 38.0% Moderate (51–100).
  • 10 days of 644 reached AQI 101+; the summer peak was 292.
  • Cleanest month: July; worst month: June.

Frequently asked questions

What is the air quality like in Scranton in summer?

Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Scranton in summer was 47 (Good). 60.4% of days were Good, 38.0% Moderate, and 1.6% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 644 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.

Is summer a good time for outdoor exercise in Scranton?

A typical summer day in Scranton sits in the Good range (median AQI 47), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 63 of summer days (1.6%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

Which pollutant causes Scranton's summer air quality problems?

Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 53.0% of summer days in Scranton. The highest summer AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 292 (Very Unhealthy), in 2023.

Scranton summer air quality, year by year

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

YearDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
2019cleanest9242077O3
20209243068O3
202192491137PM2.5
20229249074PM2.5
2023worst92526292PM2.5
20249251097O3
202592473117O3

What summer air means in Scranton

A typical summer day in Scranton sits in the Good range (median AQI 47), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 63 of summer days (1.6%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

Summer's median AQI of 47 is above Scranton's whole-year median of 41, making it one of the area's dirtier periods. Nationally, the median Summer AQI across every EPA metro area (308,645 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 46, so Scranton runs in line with the national Summer norm; 1.6% of its Summer days topped AQI 100 versus 3.6% nationally (below average).

Within the season, July is the cleanest month (median AQI 49, 0.9% of days above 100) and June the worst (median 47, 2.4% 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.