Providence Air Quality in May
Across 2019–2025, Providence's May air quality had a median AQI of 43 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA area. 0.9% of May days (2 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 74.2% of days. The cleanest May on record here was 2025 (median AQI 42, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 46, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 105).
- Good: 78.8%
- Moderate: 20.3%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.9%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Improve Indoor Air Quality
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How is the air in Providence in May?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 43 across 2019–2025, with 0.9% of May days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓78.8% of May days were Good (AQI 0–50), 20.3% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓2 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the May peak was 122.
- ✓Best May: 2025; worst May: 2023.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Providence in May?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Providence in May was 43 (Good). 78.8% of days were Good, 20.3% Moderate, and 0.9% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is May a good time for outdoor exercise in Providence?▾
A typical May day in Providence sits in the Good range (median AQI 43), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of May days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Providence's May air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 74.2% of May days in Providence. The highest May AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 122 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2023.
Providence May air quality, year by year
Providence May air quality by year (Providence-Warwick, RI-MA, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 | 43 | 0 | 84 | O3 |
| 2020 | 31 | 44 | 0 | 61 | O3 |
| 2021 | 31 | 48 | 0 | 93 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 31 | 43 | 0 | 74 | O3 |
| 2023worst | 31 | 46 | 1 | 105 | O3 |
| 2024 | 31 | 41 | 1 | 122 | O3 |
| 2025cleanest | 31 | 42 | 0 | 61 | O3 |
What May air means in Providence
A typical May day in Providence sits in the Good range (median AQI 43), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of May days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
May's median AQI of 43 is below Providence's whole-year median of 47, making it one of the area's cleaner periods. Nationally, the median May AQI across every EPA metro area (104,064 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 44, so Providence runs in line with the national May norm; 0.9% of its May days topped AQI 100 versus 1.3% nationally (about the same).
May is part of Providence's spring season (March, April, May); the spring page pools all three months.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Providence
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Providence's AQI at 43 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, not today's reading.
View current Providence air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Providence-Warwick, RI-MA), 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.