McAllen Air Quality in Winter
Across 2019–2025, McAllen's winter (December–February) air quality had a median AQI of 46 (Good) over 630 monitored days in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX area. 0.2% of winter days (1 of 630) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 81.9% of days. The cleanest winter on record here was 2019 (median AQI 39, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2021 (median 52, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 108).
- Good: 56.0%
- Moderate: 43.8%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.2%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
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How is the air in McAllen in winter?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 46 across 2019–2025, with 0.2% of winter days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓56.0% of winter days were Good (AQI 0–50), 43.8% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓1 day of 630 reached AQI 101+; the winter peak was 108.
- ✓Cleanest month: January; worst month: December.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in McAllen in winter?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in McAllen in winter was 46 (Good). 56.0% of days were Good, 43.8% Moderate, and 0.2% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 630 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is winter a good time for outdoor exercise in McAllen?▾
A typical winter day in McAllen sits in the Good range (median AQI 46), 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 McAllen's winter air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 81.9% of winter days in McAllen. The highest winter AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 108 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2021.
McAllen winter air quality, year by year
McAllen winter air quality by year (McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019cleanest | 90 | 39 | 0 | 96 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 91 | 40 | 0 | 77 | PM2.5 |
| 2021worst | 88 | 52 | 1 | 108 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 90 | 47 | 0 | 76 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 90 | 42 | 0 | 90 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 91 | 52 | 0 | 87 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 90 | 50 | 0 | 75 | PM2.5 |
What winter air means in McAllen
A typical winter day in McAllen sits in the Good range (median AQI 46), 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 46 is below McAllen's whole-year median of 50, 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 McAllen runs above 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 43, 0.0% of days above 100) and December the worst (median 47, 0.5% above 100).
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in McAllen
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts McAllen's AQI at 47 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, 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.