Richmond Air Quality in Winter
Across 2019–2025, Richmond's winter (December–February) air quality had a median AQI of 42 (Good) over 632 monitored days in the Richmond, VA 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 71.8% of days. The cleanest winter on record here was 2024 (median AQI 38, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2022 (median 48, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 67).
- Good: 64.2%
- Moderate: 35.8%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
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How is the air in Richmond in winter?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 42 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of winter days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓64.2% of winter days were Good (AQI 0–50), 35.8% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓0 days of 632 reached AQI 101+; the winter peak was 96.
- ✓Cleanest month: January; worst month: December.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Richmond in winter?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Richmond in winter was 42 (Good). 64.2% of days were Good, 35.8% 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 Richmond?▾
A typical winter day in Richmond sits in the Good range (median AQI 42), 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 Richmond's winter air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 71.8% of winter days in Richmond. The highest winter AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 96 (Moderate), in 2022.
Richmond winter air quality, year by year
Richmond winter air quality by year (Richmond, VA, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 90 | 44 | 0 | 96 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 91 | 39 | 0 | 67 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 90 | 46 | 0 | 76 | PM2.5 |
| 2022worst | 90 | 48 | 0 | 67 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 90 | 42 | 0 | 73 | PM2.5 |
| 2024cleanest | 91 | 38 | 0 | 79 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 90 | 39 | 0 | 64 | PM2.5 |
What winter air means in Richmond
A typical winter day in Richmond sits in the Good range (median AQI 42), 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 42 is below Richmond's whole-year median of 47, 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 Richmond runs in line with 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 39, 0.0% of days above 100) and December the worst (median 46, 0.0% above 100).
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Richmond
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Richmond's AQI at 37 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.
View current Richmond air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Richmond, VA), 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.