Today's Texas Air Quality Forecast

Light winds, warm to hot temperatures, sufficient afternoon sunshine, and/or elevated incoming background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the upper end of the "Moderate" range or possibly higher on the South side and central portions of the Houston area and the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate" or two) in parts of the Beaumont-Port Arthur area, with highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

Elevated daytime winds, associated with the passing of a cold front, could transport light amounts of residual blowing dust from the day before through portions of the Texas Panhandle, South Plains, Permian Basin, and Far West Texas and may be enough to raise the daily PM10 and PM2.5 AQIs to the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the impacted regions, which includes the Amarillo, El Paso, Lubbock, and Midland-Odessa areas.

Slightly elevated fine particulate levels associated with lingering continental haze ahead of the advancing cold front could cause localized low "Moderate" range PM2.5 spikes with rapidly dropping values later in the day from west to east behind the front. Depending on the duration of the urban fine particulate levels and lingering continental haze, the daily PM2.5 AQI could reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Houston area and the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate" or two) in parts of the Beaumont-Port Arthur area. Additionally, a weak pulse of Saharan dust could arrive along the Texas Coastline, contributing towards the overall particulate background levels along the coastline regions. The density and duration of the incoming dust plume could be enough for the daily PM2.5 AQI to reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the 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 and Victoria areas.

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

Light to moderate winds, abundant afternoon sunshine, and/or elevated incoming background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate" or two) in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth, El Paso, and Houston areas, with highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

Otherwise and elsewhere in the state, moderate winds 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 middle to upper end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio areas; the lower to middle end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso and Houston areas; the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Austin, Bryan-College Station, Laredo, Midland-Odessa, Tyler-Longview, and Waco-Killeen areas; and the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate" or two) in parts of the Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville-McAllen, Corpus Christi, and Victoria areas, with highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

Slightly elevated urban fine particulate levels associated with light winds and limited vertical mixing could be enough to raise the daily PM2.5 AQI to the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate" or two) in parts of the Houston and San Antonio areas.

Otherwise and elsewhere in the state, moderate winds 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 middle to upper end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio areas; the middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso and Tyler-Longview areas; the lower to middle end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Bryan-College Station, 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, Brownsville-McAllen, Corpus Christi, Laredo, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, and Victoria areas, with highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

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