Today's Texas Air Quality Forecast

Cool temperatures, scattered precipitation, 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.

Southerly morning and early afternoon winds will prevail in the eastern half of Texas as a cold front, currently over the South Plains, pushes south and eastward into Central Texas before stalling in the South-Central region by the early evening hours. A few scattered burnings across Central, East, and Southeast Texas in addition to the Lower Mississippi River Valley will continue producing small plumes of smoke/aerosols, but scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms associated with the front are already contracting coverage of these fires and will further reduce it as the day progresses. Light to moderate winds south and east of the boundary could slightly elevate urban fine particulate matter at times, particularly in Central and North Central Texas. Additionally, light density smoke/aerosols associated with the burning and industrial activity in Southern Mexico from yesterday could be transported into South Texas, slightly increasing fine particulates as it's juxtaposed with higher relative humidity, but any effects are expected to be limited by vertical mixing and chances for precipitation. The daily PM2.5 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas and net out in the "Good" range for the majority of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville-McAllen, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Laredo, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas.

Very light winds and limited vertical mixing during the morning and afternoon hours could promote elevated urban fine particulate matter in far West Texas. As a result, the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs could remain in the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area.

Cool to warm temperatures, widespread afternoon 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.

The front will remain mostly stationary across Central/South Central Texas but will gradually diffuse as southerly winds persist south of the boundary. Light density smoke could continue emanating from burning activity in Central, East and Southeast Texas and the Lower Mississippi Valley but any coverage and effects will likely be much less significant due to the precipitation that moved through the previous day. Meanwhile, light winds in the eastern half of Texas could continue to promote build-up of urban fine particulates, as large wind shifts from the previous day promote re-circulation in Central, North Central, and East Texas. Additionally, depending on the burning and industrial activity in Southern Mexico, light density smoke could remain in portions of South Texas as slightly elevated relative humidity could keep conditions conducive for fine particulate formation. The daily PM2.5 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Brownsville-McAllen, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Tyler-Longview areas and net out in the "Good" range for the majority of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Houston, Laredo, San Antonio, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas.

Light winds could keep urban fine particulate matter slightly elevated in far West Texas, although increasing vertical mixing as well as a slight chance for precipitation could increase pollutant dispersion. The daily PM2.5/PM10s are still expected to remain in the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area.

Cold to cool temperatures, widespread precipitation, 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.

Another, stronger cold front will move southward out of Oklahoma could reach Central Texas by the late morning/early afternoon hours and will bring gusty winds and widespread rain and wintry precipitation to most of Texas as coverage increases through the evening. Light density smoke and aerosols could linger over deep South Texas and sustain elevated fine particulate concentrations due to high relative humidity and pollutant convergence ahead of the boundary. The daily PM2.5 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Brownsville-McAllen area and the upper end of the "Good" range in a majority of the Corpus Christi, Houston, and Laredo areas.

Light to moderate winds may sustain slightly elevated urban fine particulate matter at times in far West Texas but likely precipitation and increased vertical mixing could result in the PM2.5/PM10 AQIs netting out in the upper end of the "Good" range in a majority of the El Paso area.

Cold temperatures, widespread precipitation, 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.

Wintry precipitation will linger across most of Texas as the cold front pushes through the deep South region during the morning hours. Elevated relative humidity in South Texas could slightly elevate fine particulate matter briefly as the boundary moves through, but ongoing precipitation and gusty winds are expected to provide sufficient dispersion. The daily PM2.5 AQI is forecast to remain firmly in the "Good" range for most areas across the state.