Today's Texas Air Quality Forecast

Light to moderate winds, warming 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 Houston area; the lower to middle end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth and El Paso areas; the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Midland-Odessa, San Antonio, and Waco-Killeen areas; and the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate" or two) in parts of the Amarillo and Lubbock areas, with highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

Widespread continental haze due to rising fine particulate background levels, associated with light to moderate winds, is expected across much of the state with the exception of Far West Texas and the Texas Panhandle that could be enough to raise the daily PM2.5 AQI to the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Austin, Brownsville-McAllen, Corpus Christi, and Houston areas and the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate" or two) in parts of the Beaumont-Port Arthur, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas.

Some localized blowing dust is possible in the afternoon and evening as elevated winds from an upper level disturbance could generate and transport light amounts of patchy blowing dust into portions of the Texas Panhandle and Far West Texas. Depending on the intensity and coverage of the possible blowing dust, the daily PM10 AQI could reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area and the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate" or two) in parts of the Amarillo and Lubbock areas. The associated PM2.5 levels could also possibly reach the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate" or two) in parts of the Amarillo and El Paso areas as well.

Otherwise and elsewhere in the state, moderate winds, warming temperatures, and/or lower incoming background levels should help keep air quality in the "Good" range in most spots.

Warm temperatures, sufficient afternoon sunshine, and/or elevated incoming background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the upper end of the "Moderate" range on the North to Northwest side of the Houston area; the lower to middle end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth and El Paso areas; the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Beaumont-Port Arthur and Waco-Killeen areas; and the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate" or two) in parts of the Amarillo, Austin, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, and San Antonio areas, with highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

Ongoing elevated urban fine particulate background levels associated with continental haze may impact mainly eastern and southern portions of the state and could be enough to raise the daily PM2.5 AQI to the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate" or two) in parts of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville-McAllen, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Waco-Killeen areas.

Slightly elevated afternoon and evening winds may be strong enough to generate light amounts of residual patchy blowing dust through the Permian Basin and Southern Texas Panhandle, which could briefly raise the daily PM2.5 AQI into the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate" or two) in parts of the Lubbock and Midland-Odessa areas.

Otherwise and elsewhere in the state, moderate winds, warming temperatures, gradually building cloud cover, and/or lower incoming background levels should help keep air quality in the "Good" range in most spots.

Light to moderate winds, warm temperatures, abundant afternoon sunshine, and/or elevated incoming background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the lower to middle end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Big Bend and El Paso areas; the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Midland-Odessa area; and the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate" or two) in parts of the Amarillo area, with highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

An upper level disturbance entering Texas from the Northwest will bring a bit of breeziness across much of the state and with the winds expected to pick up slightly, will help with dispersion of continental haze. Improvements in the daily PM2.5 AQI should be seen due to the active weather and precipitation in the forecast and help keep the daily PM2.5 AQI in the "Good" range throughout most the state. Meanwhile, some source regions of smoke from agricultural burning in Mexico and Central America may begin to contribute fine particulate background levels to portions of Deep South Texas and the coastal bend of Texas as southerly winds return. Depending on the coverage and intensity of the incoming smoke, the daily PM2.5 AQI is forecast to reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Brownsville-McAllen area and the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate" or two) in parts of the Corpus Christi and Laredo areas.

Otherwise and elsewhere in the state, moderate to strong winds, cloud cover with precipitation, and/or lower incoming background levels should help keep air quality in the "Good" range in most spots.

Warm temperatures, sufficient afternoon sunshine, and/or elevated incoming background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the lower to middle end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Big Bend and El Paso areas and the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Midland-Odessa area, with highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

Prevailing southerly windflow is expected to continue ushering light amounts of smoke from agricultural burning in Mexico and Central America into portions of South Texas and the coastal bend of Texas. Depending on the density and duration of the incoming smoke, the daily PM2.5 AQI is forecast to reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Brownsville-McAllen, Corpus Christi, Laredo, and Victoria areas.

Elevated afternoon winds may generate and transport patchy blowing dust into and through portions of Far West Texas and could be enough to raise the daily PM10 AQI to the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area and the daily PM2.5 levels to the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate" or two) in parts of the El Paso area as well.

Otherwise and elsewhere in the state, moderate to strong winds, cloud cover with precipitation, and/or lower incoming background levels should help keep air quality in the "Good" range in most spots.

Warm temperatures, sufficient afternoon sunshine, and/or elevated incoming background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the lower to middle end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Big Bend and El Paso areas and the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate" or two) in parts of the Midland-Odessa area, with highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

Southerly winds could continue to transport light amounts of smoke from the agricultural burning in Mexico and Central America into the southern portions of the state. These conditions could possibly lead to the daily PM2.5 AQI increasing to the lower to middle end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Brownsville-McAllen and Laredo areas and the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Corpus Christi and Victoria areas.

Strong afternoon winds could possibly generate and transport at times patchy blowing dust through portions of Far West Texas, possibly raising the daily PM10 AQI to the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area. Additionally, the daily PM2.5 AQI in the area could also reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area as well.

Otherwise and elsewhere in the state, moderate winds, cloud cover with precipitation, and/or lower incoming background levels should help keep air quality in the "Good" range in most spots.