Norfolk Air Quality in Winter
Across 2019–2025, Norfolk's winter (December–February) air quality had a median AQI of 36 (Good) over 632 monitored days in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC area. 0.0% of winter days (0 of 632) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 88.1% of days. The cleanest winter on record here was 2020 (median AQI 31, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 40, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 76).
- Good: 77.5%
- Moderate: 22.5%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Norfolk
Today's main pollutant in Norfolk is ground-level ozone (AQI 31). 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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How is the air in Norfolk in winter?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 36 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of winter days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓77.5% of winter days were Good (AQI 0–50), 22.5% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓0 days of 632 reached AQI 101+; the winter peak was 76.
- ✓Cleanest month: January; worst month: December.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Norfolk in winter?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Norfolk in winter was 36 (Good). 77.5% of days were Good, 22.5% Moderate, and 0.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 632 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is winter a good time for outdoor exercise in Norfolk?▾
A typical winter day in Norfolk sits in the Good range (median AQI 36), 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 Norfolk's winter air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 88.1% of winter days in Norfolk. The highest winter AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 76 (Moderate), in 2023.
Norfolk winter air quality, year by year
Norfolk winter air quality by year (Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 90 | 32 | 0 | 72 | PM2.5 |
| 2020cleanest | 91 | 31 | 0 | 59 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 90 | 37 | 0 | 67 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 90 | 38 | 0 | 67 | PM2.5 |
| 2023worst | 90 | 40 | 0 | 76 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 91 | 36 | 0 | 69 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 90 | 35 | 0 | 66 | PM2.5 |
What winter air means in Norfolk
A typical winter day in Norfolk sits in the Good range (median AQI 36), 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 36 is below Norfolk's whole-year median of 42, 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 Norfolk runs below the national Winter norm; 0.0% of its Winter days topped AQI 100 versus 0.6% nationally (about the same).
Within the season, January is the cleanest month (median AQI 33, 0.0% of days above 100) and December the worst (median 39, 0.0% above 100).
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Norfolk
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Norfolk's AQI at 31 (O3). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.
View current Norfolk air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC), 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.