Today's Texas Air Quality Forecast

Moderate winds, 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.

Winds are gradually turning out of the south/southeast across most of Texas as low pressure deepens in the Central Plains. An area of light-density smoke was observed extending from Southeastern Texas and across the Texas coastline. Conditions will become more conducive for fine particulate formation as higher relative humidity is transported out of the Gulf, possibly increasing overall PM2.5 concentrations. Light winds in East Texas could slightly increase urban fine particulates in the more populated areas but the effects are likely to be minimal at best. The overall daily PM2.5 AQI is forecast to reach the upper end of the "Good" range (possibly with an isolated low "Moderate") for the majority 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 winds and a large wind shift from the previous that could promote re-circulation are forecast to elevate urban fine particulate matter in far West Texas, keeping the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs in the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area.

Moderate winds, 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.

Depending on the burning and industrial activity in Mexico, light density aerosols may linger across the South, South Central, and coastal regions of Texas, elevating fine particulate matter as it combines with high relative humidity due to moderate winds advecting moisture out of the Gulf. A low-pressure system will move into Northwest Texas Saturday morning accompanied by a trailing cold front that will turn winds out of the north. Cleaner dry air will be transported behind the boundary and could facilitate pollutant dispersion but depending on the timing of it, the overall PM2.5 concentrations may not be significantly reduced in the Central and South portions of the state. The overall daily PM2.5 AQI is forecast to reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville-McAllen, Corpus Christi, Houston, Laredo, and San Antonio areas and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Bryan-College Station, Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler-Longview, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas.

Light winds will persist in far West Texas and when combined with limited vertical mixing could keep urban fine particulate matter slightly elevated, with the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs netting out in the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area.

Moderate winds, 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.

The cold front is forecast to be located from deep South Texas through the coastal areas by around mid-morning Sunday. Elevated relative humidity during the early morning hours in South Texas and along the coast could briefly keep PM2.5 concentrations elevated, but precipitation associated with the front combined with moderate northerly winds behind the boundary are expected to keep the daily PM2.5 AQI firmly in the "Good" range for most areas.

Light winds and a large wind shift from the previous that could promote re-circulation are forecast to elevate urban fine particulate matter in far West Texas, keeping the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs in the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area.

Moderate winds 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.

Developing low pressure off the Southeast coast of Texas could result in winds turning out of the east, southeast of the Southeast region over the Gulf, slightly increasing moisture advection inland. Combined with light winds in Central and South Texas it could elevate urban fine particulate concentrations, but the daily PM2.5 AQI is forecast to net out in the upper end of the "Good" range in a majority of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville-McAllen, Corpus Christi, Houston, Laredo, and San Antonio areas.

Light to moderate winds could keep urban fine particulate levels slightly elevated and when combined with a wind shift that may promote re-circulation, the daily PM2.5 AQI is forecast to net out in the upper end of the "Good" range in a majority of the El Paso area.

Moderate afternoon winds 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.

Building high pressure is forecast to turn winds out of the north/northeast in the eastern half of the state, advecting moisture out of the Southeast region, however elevated relative humidity is expected to persist in deep South Texas. Light winds in the eastern half of Texas could slightly elevate urban fine particulate matter in the more populated areas, but the drier conditions combined with the lack of another pollutant source will mostly keep PM2.5 concentrations tempered. The daily PM2.5 AQI is forecast to net out in 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 Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas.

Light winds and a stable atmosphere could once again slightly elevate urban fine particulate matter in far West Texas, but the daily PM2.5 AQI is expected to remain in the upper end of the "Good" range in a majority of the El Paso area.