McAllen Best & Worst AQI Days: Air Quality Guide
The worst air quality day on record for McAllen (McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX area) was June 5, 2024, when the daily AQI reached 157 (Unhealthy), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. Across 2,547 monitored days in 2019–2025, 7 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; 9 of the 10 were driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and 1 by coarse dust (PM10), and 7 of them fell in 2024. The cleanest day was October 11, 2023 at AQI 7 (Good); the 10 best days span 4 different years.
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When were McAllen's worst and best air quality days?
Worst: June 5, 2024, AQI 157 (Unhealthy, PM2.5). Best: October 11, 2023, AQI 7 (Good). Based on 2,547 EPA-monitored days in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX area, 2019–2025.
- ✓7 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; the 10th-worst was AQI 140 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) drove 9 of the 10 worst days.
- ✓2024 accounts for 7 of the 10 worst days.
Frequently asked questions
What was the worst air quality day in McAllen?▾
June 5, 2024: the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX area's daily AQI hit 157 (Unhealthy), driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. That is the highest of 2,547 monitored days in 2019–2025.
What was the best air quality day in McAllen?▾
October 11, 2023, with a daily AQI of 7 (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 McAllen's worst air quality day in 2025?▾
March 19, 2025, AQI 140 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), set by coarse dust (PM10).
Which pollutant causes McAllen's worst air days?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the AQI on 9 of the 10 worst days; coarse dust (PM10) on 1. The tables above list the defining pollutant for every day.
McAllen's 10 worst air quality days, 2019–2025
Highest daily AQI recorded for the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, 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) | 157 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 2 | (2020 page) | 157 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 3 | (2024 page) | 153 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 4 | (2024 page) | 152 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 5 | (2020 page) | 152 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 6 | (2024 page) | 151 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 7 | (2024 page) | 151 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 8 | (2024 page) | 148 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 9 | (2025 page) | 140 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) |
| 10 | (2024 page) | 140 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Worst day of each year in McAllen
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 | 106 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2020 | 157 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2021 | 108 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2022 | 136 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2023 | 95 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2024 | 157 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2025 | 140 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) |
McAllen's 10 best air quality days, 2019–2025
Lowest daily AQI recorded for the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX area. Ties are listed most recent first.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2023 page) | 7 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 2 | (2023 page) | 7 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 3 | (2023 page) | 7 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 4 | (2023 page) | 7 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 5 | (2022 page) | 7 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 6 | (2019 page) | 11 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 7 | (2022 page) | 12 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 8 | (2023 page) | 13 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 9 | (2020 page) | 13 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 10 | (2023 page) | 14 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Right now in McAllen
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts McAllen's AQI at 47 (PM2.5). The days above are historical records, not today's reading.
View current McAllen air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, 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.