Amarillo Best & Worst AQI Days: Air Quality Guide
The worst air quality day on record for Amarillo (Amarillo, TX area) was February 27, 2024, when the daily AQI reached 138 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Across 2,554 monitored days in 2019–2025, 0 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; 6 of the 10 were driven by ground-level ozone and 4 by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and 3 of them fell in 2022. The cleanest day was December 18, 2024 at AQI 0 (Good); the 10 best days span 5 different years.
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Amarillo
Today's main pollutant in Amarillo is ground-level ozone (AQI 40). Important: standard HEPA filters do NOT remove ozone — only a purifier with a substantial activated-carbon bed adsorbs it. The biggest wins are cutting indoor sources (gas appliances, certain "ionizer" purifiers) and ventilating when outdoor ozone is low (early morning). A high-carbon unit helps with the gases and VOCs that linger indoors.
Recommended: Levoit Core 300 — True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft
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When were Amarillo's worst and best air quality days?
Worst: February 27, 2024, AQI 138 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, PM2.5). Best: December 18, 2024, AQI 0 (Good). Based on 2,554 EPA-monitored days in the Amarillo, TX area, 2019–2025.
- ✓0 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; the 10th-worst was AQI 102 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Ground-level ozone drove 6 of the 10 worst days.
- ✓2022 accounts for 3 of the 10 worst days.
Frequently asked questions
What was the worst air quality day in Amarillo?▾
February 27, 2024: the Amarillo, TX area's daily AQI hit 138 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5). That is the highest of 2,554 monitored days in 2019–2025.
What was the best air quality day in Amarillo?▾
December 18, 2024, with a daily AQI of 0 (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 Amarillo's worst air quality day in 2025?▾
August 13, 2025, AQI 97 (Moderate), set by ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season.
Which pollutant causes Amarillo's worst air days?▾
Ground-level ozone set the AQI on 6 of the 10 worst days; fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on 4. The tables above list the defining pollutant for every day.
Amarillo's 10 worst air quality days, 2019–2025
Highest daily AQI recorded for the Amarillo, TX area (EPA AQS). The daily AQI is the highest reading from any monitor in the area that day.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2024 page) | 138 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 2 | (2023 page) | 125 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 3 | (2022 page) | 122 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 4 | (2021 page) | 119 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 5 | (2023 page) | 112 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 6 | (2019 page) | 112 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 7 | (2024 page) | 108 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 8 | (2022 page) | 108 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 9 | (2022 page) | 108 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 10 | (2023 page) | 102 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Worst day of each year in Amarillo
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 | 112 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2020 | 90 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone | |
| 2021 | 119 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2022 | 122 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone | |
| 2023 | 125 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2024 | 138 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2025 | 97 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
Amarillo's 10 best air quality days, 2019–2025
Lowest daily AQI recorded for the Amarillo, TX area. Ties are listed most recent first.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2024 page) | 0 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 2 | (2024 page) | 0 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 3 | (2025 page) | 2 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 4 | (2025 page) | 13 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 5 | (2019 page) | 14 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 6 | (2022 page) | 16 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 7 | (2019 page) | 17 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 8 | (2020 page) | 18 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 9 | (2020 page) | 18 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 10 | (2020 page) | 18 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Right now in Amarillo
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Amarillo's AQI at 40 (O3). The days above are historical records, not today's reading.
View current Amarillo air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Amarillo, TX), 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.