Today's Texas Air Quality Forecast

Scattered burning activity was observed along the SE border of Texas and the southern border of Louisiana where various smoke density plumes were seen emitting towards the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, slightly increased urban fine particulate background levels associated with continental haze and/or lower morning vertical mixing heights as a high-pressure system moves eastward over the Lower Mississippi Valley and the Southeast U.S. may be enough to raise the overall daily PM2.5 AQI to the middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Houston area and the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Beaumont-Port Arthur area and stay in the "Good" range (possibly with an isolated low "Moderate") for the majority of the Austin, Brownsville-McAllen, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas-Fort Worth, Laredo, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas.

Light daytime winds and lower vertical mixing heights, limiting pollutant dispersion, along with some light urban pollutant carryover from the previous day may raise the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs to the middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area.

Depending on the amount of scattered agricultural burnings and gas flaring emissions from oil rigs throughout Central and Southern Mexico and in the Bay of Campeche as well as aerosols from volcanic emissions and industrial sources, southerly winds may transport some of these fine particulates over portions of deep South Texas and along the coastal bend of Texas. Additionally, increasing relative humidity levels could enhance fine particulate background levels across deep South Texas and along the coastal bend of Texas as well as portions of North Central, South Central, Southeast, and East Texas. The overall daily PM2.5 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville-McAllen, Corpus Christi, Houston, and Victoria areas and stay in the "Good" range for the majority of the Austin, Bryan-College Station, Dallas-Fort Worth, Laredo, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, and Waco-Killeen areas.

Fine urban particulate levels owing to limited dispersion from light winds and limited vertical mixing are expected to keep the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs at the middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area.

A cold front stretching from North Central Texas through the Permian Basin could bring scattered precipitation to the former region as well as portions of the Central and East regions as it slowly moves eastward. Light afternoon winds could provide slightly elevated levels of urban fine particulate matter, but the expected rain associated with the passing frontal boundary will likely support sufficient pollutant dispersion. Depending on the coverage and intensity of scattered agricultural burnings and gas flaring emissions from oil rigs throughout Central and Southern Mexico and in the Bay of Campeche, as well as aerosols from volcanic emissions and industrial sources, southerly winds may transport some of these fine particulates over portions of deep South Texas and along the coastal bend of Texas. The overall daily PM2.5 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Brownsville-McAllen area and stay in the "Good" range for the majority of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Laredo, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, Victoria, Waco-Killeen areas.

Fine urban particulate levels owing to limited dispersion from light winds and limited vertical mixing are expected to keep the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs at the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area.

The aforementioned cold front will stall across Central/North Central Texas before lifting northward as high relative humidity sustains a chance for scattered showers. Light morning winds could contribute toward slightly elevated urban fine particulate matter, but the possible precipitation combined with increased vertical ascent could keep pollutant concentrations tempered. Meanwhile, depending on the burning and industrial activity that has been ongoing in Central and Southern Mexico, southerly winds could advect light amounts of residual smoke/aerosols into portions of South Texas and along the coast. The overall daily PM2.5 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Brownsville-McAllen area and stay in the "Good" range for the majority of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Laredo, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, Victoria, Waco-Killeen areas.

Light winds, stable atmospheric conditions, and fine particulate carryover in far west Texas could keep the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs at the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area.