Today's Texas Air Quality Forecast

An Ozone Action Day is in effect today for the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Light winds, warm to hot temperatures, sufficient afternoon sunshine, and/or elevated incoming background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the lower end of the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range on the north side of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the upper end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Houston area, the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Austin, El Paso, San Antonio, and Waco-Killeen areas, and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Amarillo, Lubbock, and Midland-Odessa areas, with the highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

The Saharan dust plume is lingering in far West Texas this morning but will quickly disperse later today. Burning activity in the Central and Southeast CONUS as well as the fires scattered across central and southeastern Texas, particularly in Sutton County are producing light to medium density smoke that is lingering in the eastern two thirds of the state. Light morning winds combined with elevated relative humidity could increase urban fine particulate matter slightly as well. Overall, the daily PM2.5 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville-McAllen, Bryan-College Station, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Laredo, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, and Waco-Killeen areas and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Amarillo, Big Bend, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, and Victoria areas. The daily PM10 AQI could reach the upper end of the "Good" range in parts of the El Paso area as well.

Light winds, warm to hot temperatures, sufficient afternoon sunshine, and/or elevated incoming background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the upper end of the "Moderate" range (or possibly higher) on the north and west sides of the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas, the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Austin, El Paso, and San Antonio areas, and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, and Tyler-Longview areas, with the highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

A layer of light smoke could linger over most of the state as burning activity is forecast to persist in the Central/Southeast CONUS as well as in central and southern Mexico. Additionally, fires scattered across central and southeastern Texas, including the Sutton County fire could also produce additional plumes of residual smoke. Light morning winds and elevated relative humidity could increase urban fine particulate matter as well. Overall, the daily PM2.5 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Brownsville-McAllen, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Laredo, and Tyler-Longview areas and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Big Bend, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, San Antonio, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas.

Calm winds in far West Texas may slightly elevate urban fine particulate matter but the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs are forecast to net out in the upper end of the "Good" range in a majority of the El Paso area.

Light winds, warm to hot temperatures, sufficient afternoon sunshine, and/or elevated incoming background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the middle to upper end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the lower to middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso, Houston, and Midland-Odessa areas, and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Amarillo, Austin, Lubbock, San Antonio, and Tyler-Longview areas, with the highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

A layer of light smoke is forecast to remain over most of Texas (except the far West region) due to ongoing burning activity in the Central and Southeast CONUS in addition to possible scattered burnings in Texas, particularly the Sutton County fire. A majority of the smoke will remain aloft but areas downwind of the localized Texas burnings could see more noticeable increase in fine particulate concentrations. Light to moderate variable winds could increase urban fine particulate matter as well. Overall, the daily PM2.5 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Laredo, and Tyler-Longview areas and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Big Bend, Brownsville-McAllen, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, San Antonio, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas.

Light winds and limited vertical mixing in far West Texas could slightly increase urban fine particulate matter but the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs are forecast to net out in the upper end of the "Good" range in a majority of the El Paso area.

Light winds, warm to hot temperatures, sufficient afternoon sunshine, and/or elevated incoming background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the middle to upper end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the lower to middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso, Houston, and Midland-Odessa areas, and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Amarillo, Austin, Lubbock, San Antonio, and Tyler-Longview areas, with the highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

Light density smoke will remain over the eastern two thirds of Texas with scattered burnings expected in the Central Plains and Southeast U.S., in addition to possible small, scattered burnings across the state. Light winds and slightly elevated relative humidity could increase urban fine particulate matter in Central and North Texas as well. Overall, the daily PM2.5 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Laredo, and Tyler-Longview areas and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Big Bend, Brownsville-McAllen, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, San Antonio, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas.

Light morning winds in far West Texas could slightly increase urban fine particulate matter but increased vertical mixing and breezier afternoon/evening winds are forecast to result in the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs netting out in the upper end of the "Good" range in a majority of the El Paso area.

Light winds, warm to hot temperatures, sufficient afternoon sunshine, and/or elevated incoming background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the upper end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Houston area, the lower to middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Amarillo, Austin, El Paso, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, San Antonio, and Tyler-Longview areas, with the highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

Light density smoke emanating from the Central Plains and Southeast U.S. is expected to spread farther westward over the state as surface winds turn more out of the east over a majority of Texas, although most of it is expected to stay aloft. Small, scattered burnings in Central and East Texas could produce plumes of light to moderate smoke as well. Overall, the daily PM2.5 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Laredo, and Tyler-Longview areas and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Big Bend, Brownsville-McAllen, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, San Antonio, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas.