Burlington Air Quality in January

Across 2019–2025, Burlington's January air quality had a median AQI of 39 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Burlington-South Burlington, VT area. 0.0% of January 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 January on record here was 2024 (median AQI 36, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2022 (median 48, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 90).

39
Median AQI
Good
0.0%
Days above AQI 100
0 of 217 days
56
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
90
Peak AQI
Moderate
PM2.5
Main pollutant
52.5% of days
77.4%
Good days
168 of 217
  • Good: 77.4%
  • Moderate: 22.6%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%

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QUICK ANSWER

How is the air in Burlington in January?

Good on a typical day: median AQI 39 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of January days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.

  • 77.4% of January days were Good (AQI 0–50), 22.6% Moderate (51–100).
  • 0 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the January peak was 90.
  • Best January: 2024; worst January: 2022.

Frequently asked questions

What is the air quality like in Burlington in January?

Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Burlington in January was 39 (Good). 77.4% of days were Good, 22.6% Moderate, and 0.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.

Is January a good time for outdoor exercise in Burlington?

A typical January day in Burlington sits in the Good range (median AQI 39), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of January days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

Which pollutant causes Burlington's January air quality problems?

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 52.5% of January days in Burlington. The highest January AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 90 (Moderate), in 2022.

Burlington January air quality, year by year

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

YearDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
20193138062O3
20203139070PM2.5
20213141083PM2.5
2022worst3148090PM2.5
20233137056PM2.5
2024cleanest3136062O3
20253137043O3

What January air means in Burlington

A typical January day in Burlington sits in the Good range (median AQI 39), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of January days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.

January's median AQI of 39 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 January AQI across every EPA metro area (95,602 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 39, so Burlington runs in line with the national January norm; 0.0% of its January days topped AQI 100 versus 0.7% nationally (about the same).

January 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.