Burlington Air Quality in December

Across 2019–2025, Burlington's December air quality had a median AQI of 36 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Burlington-South Burlington, VT area. 0.0% of December days (0 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 52.5% of days. The cleanest December on record here was 2025 (median AQI 31, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 43, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 66).

36
Median AQI
Good
0.0%
Days above AQI 100
0 of 217 days
55
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
87
Peak AQI
Moderate
PM2.5
Main pollutant
52.5% of days
80.2%
Good days
174 of 217
  • Good: 80.2%
  • Moderate: 19.8%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%

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QUICK ANSWER

How is the air in Burlington in December?

Good on a typical day: median AQI 36 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of December days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.

  • 80.2% of December days were Good (AQI 0–50), 19.8% Moderate (51–100).
  • 0 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the December peak was 87.
  • Best December: 2025; worst December: 2023.

Frequently asked questions

What is the air quality like in Burlington in December?

Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Burlington in December was 36 (Good). 80.2% of days were Good, 19.8% Moderate, and 0.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.

Is December a good time for outdoor exercise in Burlington?

A typical December day in Burlington 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 December days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

Which pollutant causes Burlington's December air quality problems?

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 52.5% of December days in Burlington. The highest December AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 87 (Moderate), in 2023.

Burlington December air quality, year by year

Burlington December air quality by year (Burlington-South Burlington, VT, EPA AQS daily AQI)

YearDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
20193138068PM2.5
20203137082PM2.5
20213139087PM2.5
20223136063PM2.5
2023worst3143066PM2.5
20243132051O3
2025cleanest3131044PM2.5

What December air means in Burlington

A typical December day in Burlington 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 December days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

December's median AQI of 36 is in line with Burlington's whole-year median of 39, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median December AQI across every EPA metro area (95,590 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 39, so Burlington runs in line with the national December norm; 0.0% of its December days topped AQI 100 versus 0.7% nationally (about the same).

December is part of Burlington's winter season (December, January, February); the winter page pools all three months.

Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.

Right now in Burlington

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Burlington's AQI at 27 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, not today's reading.

View current Burlington air quality →

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Burlington-South Burlington, VT), 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.