Today's Texas Air Quality Forecast

A cold front that moved through the northern half of the state yesterday will push through the rest of south and southeast Texas and into the Gulf of Mexico by the late evening hours. Slightly elevated fine particulate PM2.5 matter associated with morning relative humidity levels are expected to linger across coastal regions of the state as well as lingering light density smoke and aerosols from scattered agricultural burnings, volcanic emissions, and industrial sources through Central and Southern Mexico over deep South Texas may periodically raise PM2.5 levels to the "Moderate" range for areas along and just ahead of the advancing front as it pushes south. Additionally, New Years Eve celebratory activities and fireworks are possible in spots across the state, particularly in more urban locations, and may increase local fine particulate matter and cause PM2.5 concentrations to increase on an hourly basis throughout the evening. It is possible that PM2.5 concentrations may briefly spike into the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range or higher, however, the overall daily PM2.5 AQI should net out in the lower to middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Austin, Brownsville-McAllen, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Waco-Killeen areas and net out in the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Beaumont-Port Arthur, Laredo, Tyler-Longview, and Victoria areas.

Fine urban particulate levels owing to limited dispersion from daytime light winds may elevate urban fine particulate levels and the overall daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs to the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area.

Slightly increased urban fine particulate background levels associated with continental haze from light northerly winds and a drier airmass may contribute towards slightly raising PM2.5 levels for portions of the eastern two-thirds of the state. Additionally, lingering smoke from New Years celebratory activities and fireworks may persist in spots across the state, particularly in more urban locations. Local fine particulate matter concentrations may remain slightly elevated to raise the overall daily PM2.5 AQI to the lower to middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville-McAllen, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Laredo, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas.

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

Light daytime winds along with continental haze may slightly increase urban fine particulate PM2.5 background levels over portions of the eastern two-thirds of the state. Additionally, depending on possible scattered agricultural burning activities across parts of the state, light density smoke may contribute towards slightly increasing background PM2.5 levels. The overall daily PM2.5 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" in parts of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville-McAllen, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Waco-Killeen areas and stay in the "Good" range for the majority of the Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Laredo, Tyler-Longview, and Victoria areas.

Light surface winds combined with limited morning vertical mixing are expected to keep fine particulate pollutants near the ground and raise the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs to the middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area.

Another weaker cold front is forecast to move through the Texas Panhandle, North Central, and Northeast Texas. bringing another dry airmass to most of the state. Light northerly daytime winds for the eastern two-thirds of the state may continue to transport slightly increased urban fine particulate background levels associated with continental haze as well as light amounts of thin density residual smoke from possible scattered agricultural burning activities in parts of the state in addition to the southern Mississippi River Valley over portions of East, Southeast, North Central, and South Central Texas. The overall daily PM2.5 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Waco-Killeen areas and stay in the "Good" range for the majority of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville-McAllen, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Laredo, Tyler-Longview, 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 maintain the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs at the middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area.