Today's Texas Air Quality Forecast

Light winds, warm to hot temperatures, sufficient afternoon sunshine, and/or elevated lingering background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Amarillo, Dallas-Fort Worth, El Paso, and Midland-Odessa areas and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Austin, Houston, Lubbock, and San Antonio areas.

Very light density residual smoke from the wildfires across California, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado is lingering primarily over the Texas Panhandle, far West Texas, the South Plains, the Permian Basin, and the northern part of North Central Texas and is continuing to disperse and weaken. Additionally, small burnings across parts of East Texas, the Coastal Plains, and Western Louisiana are producing light density residual smoke, however the coverage of the aerosols is not expected to have much of an impact on surface fine particulate levels. Meanwhile, a light plume of Saharan dust is forecast to continue filtering and lingering over deep South Texas, the Coastal Plains, along the Rio Grande Valley, South Central Texas, and possibly over portions of Southeast Texas in low concentrations. Also, slightly elevated relative humidity levels and/or light morning winds across the eastern two-thirds of the state are forecast to persist and contribute towards raising urban fine particulate levels. Overall, the daily PM2.5 AQI is forecast to reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville-McAllen, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Laredo, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas. The daily PM10 AQI may reach the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate") in parts of the Houston area as well.

Slightly elevated urban fine particulate background levels along with possible very light density residual smoke over portions of Far West Texas could raise the daily PM2.5 AQI to the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area. The daily PM10 AQI is forecast to reach the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate") in parts of the El Paso area as well.

Light winds, warm to hot temperatures, sufficient afternoon sunshine, and/or elevated lingering background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Amarillo, Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, and San Antonio areas.

Very little of the light density residual smoke attributed to the wildfires across California, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado is forecast to remain over Texas. Additionally, model guidance suggests that any residual smoke from small burnings across parts of East Texas, the Coastal Plains, and Western Louisiana should not have much of an impact on surface fine particulate levels. Also, most of the light density plume of Saharan dust over deep South Texas, the Coastal Plains, the lower Rio Grande Valley, and Southeast as well as South Central Texas is forecast to continue weakening, however another slightly more moderately dense plume is forecast to arrive over deep South Texas later on in the day. Meanwhile, slightly elevated relative humidity levels and/or light morning winds across the eastern two-thirds of the state are forecast to persist and contribute towards raising urban fine particulate levels. Overall, the daily PM2.5 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Brownsville-McAllen, Corpus Christi, and Victoria areas and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Laredo, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, and Waco-Killeen areas.

While there may be several hours of low "Moderate" urban fine particulate PM2.5 concentrations across far West Texas associated with light daytime winds and limited vertical mixing, the overall daily PM2.5 AQI is forecast to net out in the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the region, which includes the El Paso area. The daily PM10 AQI may reach the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate") in parts of the El Paso area as well.

Light winds, warm to hot 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 Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas; the lower to middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area; and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Amarillo, Austin, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, and San Antonio areas, with the highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

The slightly moderate density plume of Saharan dust is forecast to move north and westward over the Coastal Plains, South Central Texas, along the Rio Grande Valley, and portions of the Permian Basin. Meanwhile, should the small burnings across parts of East Texas, the Coastal Plains, and Western Louisiana continue, very light density residual smoke may continue to linger over the regions, however, the aerosols should not have much of an impact on surface fine particulate levels. Additionally, slightly elevated relative humidity levels and/or light morning winds across the eastern two-thirds of the state are forecast to persist and contribute towards raising urban fine particulate levels. Overall, the daily PM2.5 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Houston, Laredo, and Tyler-Longview areas and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville-McAllen, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas-Fort Worth, Midland-Odessa, San Antonio, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas.

While light daytime winds over far West Texas may limit dispersion of urban fine particulate levels, periodically raising PM2.5/PM10 levels to the "Moderate" range, the overall daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs are forecast to net out in the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the region, which includes the El Paso area.

Light winds, warm to hot 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 Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas; the lower to middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area; the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Austin, Midland-Odessa, and San Antonio areas; and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Amarillo, Lubbock, and Tyler-Longview areas, with the highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

Model guidance suggests the plume of Saharan dust will continue expanding northward and dispersing over the Permian Basin, the South Plains, and the Texas Panhandle, weakening in concentration. Depending on the small burnings across parts of East Texas, the Coastal Plains, and Western Louisiana, very light density residual smoke may continue to linger over the regions, however, the aerosols are not expected to have much of an impact on surface fine particulate levels. Additionally, slightly elevated relative humidity levels and/or light daytime winds across the eastern two-thirds of the state are forecast to persist and contribute towards raising urban fine particulate levels. Overall, the daily PM2.5 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Tyler-Longview areas and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville-McAllen, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Laredo, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, San Antonio, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas. The daily PM10 AQI may reach the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate") in parts of the Houston area as well.

Light daytime winds, limiting pollutant dispersion, along with some light urban pollutant carryover from the previous days may raise the daily PM2.5 AQI to the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area. The daily PM10 AQI may reach the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate") in parts of the El Paso area as well.

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 in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas; the middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area; the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Amarillo, Austin, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, and San Antonio areas; and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Tyler-Longview and Waco-Killeen areas, with the highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

Depending on any small burnings across parts of East Texas, the Coastal Plains, and Western Louisiana, very light density residual smoke may continue to linger over the regions, however, the aerosols are not expected to have much of an impact on surface fine particulate levels. Additionally, slightly elevated relative humidity levels and/or light daytime winds across the eastern two-thirds of the state are forecast to persist and contribute towards raising urban fine particulate levels. Overall, the daily PM2.5 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Tyler-Longview areas and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville-McAllen, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Laredo, San Antonio, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas. The daily PM10 AQI may reach the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate") in parts of the Houston area as well.

Light daytime winds, limiting pollutant dispersion, along with some light urban pollutant carryover from the previous days may keep the daily PM2.5 AQI at the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area. The daily PM10 AQI may reach the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate") in parts of the El Paso area as well.