Lubbock Air Quality in Winter
Across 2019–2025, Lubbock's winter (December–February) air quality had a median AQI of 16 (Good) over 592 monitored days in the Lubbock, TX area. 0.2% of winter days (1 of 592) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 100.0% of days. The cleanest winter on record here was 2022 (median AQI 12, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 13, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 161).
- Good: 96.8%
- Moderate: 3.0%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.2%
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How is the air in Lubbock in winter?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 16 across 2019–2025, with 0.2% of winter days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓96.8% of winter days were Good (AQI 0–50), 3.0% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓1 day of 592 reached AQI 101+; the winter peak was 161.
- ✓Cleanest month: January; worst month: February.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Lubbock in winter?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Lubbock in winter was 16 (Good). 96.8% of days were Good, 3.0% Moderate, and 0.2% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 592 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is winter a good time for outdoor exercise in Lubbock?▾
A typical winter day in Lubbock sits in the Good range (median AQI 16), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of winter days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Lubbock's winter air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 100.0% of winter days in Lubbock. The highest winter AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 161 (Unhealthy), in 2023.
Lubbock winter air quality, year by year
Lubbock winter air quality by year (Lubbock, TX, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 81 | 24 | 0 | 60 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 85 | 21 | 0 | 45 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 77 | 17 | 0 | 70 | PM2.5 |
| 2022cleanest | 84 | 12 | 0 | 56 | PM2.5 |
| 2023worst | 90 | 13 | 1 | 161 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 90 | 12 | 0 | 91 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 85 | 13 | 0 | 60 | PM2.5 |
What winter air means in Lubbock
A typical winter day in Lubbock sits in the Good range (median AQI 16), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of winter days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Winter's median AQI of 16 is below Lubbock's whole-year median of 26, making it one of the area's cleaner periods. Nationally, the median Winter AQI across every EPA metro area (278,620 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 40, so Lubbock runs below the national Winter norm; 0.2% of its Winter days topped AQI 100 versus 0.6% nationally (about the same).
Within the season, January is the cleanest month (median AQI 14, 0.0% of days above 100) and February the worst (median 18, 0.5% above 100).
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Lubbock, 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.