Today's Texas Air Quality Forecast

Sufficient afternoon sunshine and/or slightly elevated incoming background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the upper end of the "Good" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

A weak cold front is moving though the Texas Panhandle, Permian Basin, and far West Texas this morning and will move through most of the state by sunrise on Wednesday morning. Light density residual smoke attributed to scattered burning activities across portions of Central, North Central, and Southeast Texas as well as portions of the Central Plains may slightly raise fine particulate matter across these regions. Meanwhile, slightly elevated urban fine particulate aerosols attributed to light morning winds and slightly elevated relative humidity levels may also slightly raise PM2.5 levels across the more populated areas ahead of the front however these aerosols look to be minimal. Additionally, industrial activities across the Permian Basin are expected to produce light density smoke over portions of this region and also slightly elevate PM2.5 levels. Scattered rain showers over South Central, East, Southeast, and deep South Texas along with the northern Coastal Plains are expected to wash out some of the urban fine particulate and smoke aerosols across these regions however. With current morning conditions providing more dispersion of aerosols than previously forecast, newer model guidance indicates that the daily PM2.5 AQI should net out in the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Brownsville-McAllen and Houston areas and stay in the "Good" range for the majority of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas-Fort Worth, Laredo, Midland-Odessa, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas.

Light morning winds and lower vertical mixing heights across far West Texas are expected to slightly elevate urban fine particulate matter at times during the day, however newer model guidance suggests that the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs should remain in the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the region, which includes the El Paso area.

Moderate winds, 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.

Following the passing of the weak cold front, high-pressure will begin to build over the state. Scattered burning activities across portions of Central, North Central, and Southeast Texas as well as the Central Plains are forecast to continue to produce light density residual smoke that may slightly raise fine particulate matter across these regions. Meanwhile, slightly elevated urban fine particulate aerosols attributed to lower vertical mixing heights may slightly raise PM2.5 levels across the more populated areas of the eastern two-thirds of the state. Additionally, industrial activities across the Permian Basin are forecast to continue producing light density smoke over portions of this region and may also slightly elevate PM2.5 levels. Overall, the daily PM2.5 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Beaumont-Port Arthur, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Waco-Killeen areas and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Austin, Brownsville-McAllen, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Houston, Laredo, Midland-Odessa, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, and Victoria areas.

Slightly elevated and gusty afternoon through evening winds across far West Texas could generate and transport patchy blowing dust from the region as well as southern New Mexico across the region and raise fine particulate matter. While the intensity and coverage of the windy conditions may raise PM2.5/PM10 levels to the upper end of the "Moderate" range at times, the overall daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs are forecast to net out in the middle of the "Moderate" range across portions of the region, which includes the El Paso area.

Light winds, warm temperatures, sufficient afternoon sunshine, and/or slightly elevated incoming background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the upper end of the "Good" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas.

High-pressure will continue to develop and move over the state, producing light daytime winds and lower morning vertical mixing heights. Depending on the scattered burning activities across portions of Central, North Central, and Southeast Texas as well as the Central Plains, light density residual smoke may continue to slightly raise fine particulate matter across these regions. Meanwhile, slightly elevated urban fine particulate aerosols attributed to the light daytime winds as well as lower morning vertical mixing heights may slightly raise PM2.5 levels across the more populated areas of the eastern two-thirds of the state as well. Additionally, industrial activities across the Permian Basin may continue to produce light density smoke over portions of this region and slightly elevate PM2.5 levels 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, Bryan-College Station, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Tyler-Longview areas and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Brownsville-McAllen, Corpus Christi, Laredo, Midland-Odessa, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas.

Light morning winds and lower vertical mixing heights across far West Texas may at times raise urban fine particulate matter to the "Moderate" range, however the overall daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs are forecast to net out in the "Good" range across the majority of the region, which includes the El Paso area.

Light winds, warm temperatures, sufficient afternoon sunshine, and/or slightly elevated incoming background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the upper end of the "Good" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Victoria areas.

High-pressure will continue to influence the weather over Texas providing mostly sunny skies and light to moderate winds. Should the scattered burning activities across portions of Central, North Central, and Southeast Texas as well as the Central Plains continue, light density residual smoke may continue to slightly raise fine particulate matter across these regions. Meanwhile, slightly elevated urban fine particulate aerosols attributed to light morning winds and lower morning vertical mixing heights may slightly raise PM2.5 levels across the more populated areas of the eastern two-thirds of the state as well. Additionally, industrial activities across the Permian Basin may continue to produce light density smoke over portions of this region and slightly elevate PM2.5 levels as well. Overall, the daily PM2.5 AQI is forecast to reach 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 for the majority of the Brownsville-McAllen, Corpus Christi, Laredo, Midland-Odessa, and Victoria areas.

Slightly elevated urban fine particulate background levels over portions of far West Texas associated with light daytime winds and limited morning vertical mixing could be enough to raise the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs to the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the region, which includes the El Paso area.