Today's Texas Air Quality Forecast

Cool temperatures, scattered cloud cover, and/or lower incoming background levels are forecast to be enough to keep ozone levels in the "Good" range for the majority of the state.

A weak low-pressure system is slowly progressing eastward over Northwest Texas while a second low-pressure system over the Gulf is moving over deep South Texas, advecting moisture and slightly raising relative humidity levels over the eastern two-thirds of the state and producing scattered showers. Light morning to afternoon winds over portions of East Texas, Southeast Texas, South Central Texas, and deep South Texas as well as the Coastal Plains, the Permian Basin, and along the Rio Grande Valley may again slightly elevate urban fine particulate matter in the more populated areas. Should the small and scattered agricultural burning activities across parts of Southeast Texas, East Texas, South Central Texas, and the lower Mississippi River Valley continue, very light density residual smoke are not expected to impact fine particulate aerosols much and be confined to the Southeast and Northeast portions of the state. Overall, the daily PM2.5 AQI may rise to the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Bryan-College Station, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, and Waco-Killeen areas and the upper end of the "Good" range in a majority of the Brownsville-McAllen, Corpus Christi, Laredo, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, and Victoria areas.

Light and/or variable daytime winds over portions of far West Texas are expected to keep urban fine particulate matter slightly elevated and may be enough to raise the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs to the middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area.

Cool temperatures, moderate winds, and/or lower incoming background levels are forecast to be enough to keep ozone levels in the "Good" range for the majority of the state.

A cold front is forecast to arrive over the Texas Panhandle and move eastward possibly moving through North Central Texas, South Central Texas, Northeast Texas, and approach Southeast Texas and the Coastal Plains by the late evening hours. Slightly elevated relative humidity levels are forecast to persist over the eastern two-thirds of the state and slightly raise fine particulate aerosols along and ahead of the progressing cold frontal boundary along with very light density residual smoke associated with small, scattered agricultural burning activities across parts of Southeast Texas, East Texas, South Central Texas, and the lower Mississippi River Valley. These aerosols are expected to decrease rapidly behind the cold front due to gusty northerly winds. Newer model guidance suggests that the overall daily PM2.5 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Brownsville-McAllen and Laredo areas and the upper end of the "Good" range in a majority of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas.

Newer model guidance suggests that the breezy conditions associated with the cold front moving over the Central Plains of the U.S. may generate and transport suspended dust from Kansas southward over the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles. While occasional fine particulate matter over portions of the Texas Panhandle may rise to the "Moderate" range, the overall daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs are forecast to net out in the "Good" range for the majority of the region, which includes the Amarillo area.

Light and variable daytime winds over portions of far West Texas should limit dispersion of urban fine particulate aerosols and are forecast to be enough to raise the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs to the middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area.

Cool temperatures and/or lower incoming background levels are forecast to be enough to keep ozone levels in the "Good" range for the majority of the state.

A high-pressure system is forecast to develop following the passing of the aforementioned cold front. Light winds over South Central, Northeast, Southeast, and deep South Texas, along with the Coastal Plains and lower Rio Grande Valley may at times slightly elevate urban fine particulate matter across portions of these regions. The overall daily PM2.5 AQI may rise to the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Brownsville-McAllen and Houston areas and the upper end of the "Good" range in a majority of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas-Fort Worth, Laredo, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas.

Persistent light and variable daytime winds over portions of far West Texas are forecast to limit dispersion of urban fine particulate aerosols and may be enough to keep the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs at the middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area.

Cool temperatures and/or lower incoming background levels are forecast to be enough to keep ozone levels in the "Good" range for the majority of the state.

Model guidance suggests that a weak low-pressure system may move over the Oklahoma and Texas border and may be accompanied by a warm front, raising temperatures across the state to above average. While slightly elevated relative humidity levels and light morning winds may briefly raise urban fine particulate matter for the more urban areas across the eastern two-thirds of the state, gusty afternoon winds should disperse some of these local aerosols. The overall daily PM2.5 AQI may rise to the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville-McAllen, Houston, and Tyler-Longview areas and the upper end of the "Good" range for parts of the Austin, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas-Fort Worth, Laredo, San Antonio, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas.

Light daytime winds over portions of far West Texas may continue to limit dispersion of urban fine particulate aerosols and be enough to keep the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs at the middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area.