Today's Texas Air Quality Forecast

Moderate winds and/or lower incoming background levels should be enough for ozone to stay in the "Good" range for the majority of the state.

A low-pressure system with an associated cold front are forecast to move into the Central Plains as the cold front moves through the Texas Panhandle, far West Texas, the South Plains, and the Permian Basin. Breezy and pretty gusty winds are forecast to develop across these regions of the state which may at times generate some patchy blowing dust and raise PM2.5/PM10 concentrations into the "Moderate" range. The density and coverage of the possible blowing dust are not expected to be enough to raise the overall daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs beyond the "Good" range for the majority of these regions, which includes the Amarillo, El Paso, Lubbock, and Midland-Odessa areas. Meanwhile, new satellite and analysis guidance indicates that light density residual smoke attributed to fire activities and industrial oil/gas operations along the eastern Mexico coast is extending and expanding northward over deep South Texas, the Coastal Plains, and Southeast Texas, however these aerosols should remain mostly aloft. Additionally, light mornings winds and/or elevated relative humidity levels ahead of the aforementioned cold front over the eastern two-thirds of the state are expected to contribute towards elevating PM2.5 levels across the more populated areas of these regions of the state. The overall daily PM2.5 AQI could reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Tyler-Longview areas and remain in 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.

Breezy winds, cool temperatures, and/or lower incoming background levels are expected to be enough to keep ozone in the "Good" range for most of the state.

As the aforementioned cold front moves through the eastern two-thirds of the state, most of the light density residual smoke over deep South Texas, the Coastal Plains, and Southeast Texas associated with fire activities and industrial oil/gas operations along the eastern Mexico coast is forecast to be steered out of the state, improving PM2.5 levels. Meanwhile, the slightly elevated relative humidity levels are expected to decrease as a drier airmass moves over the state, also expected to improve PM2.5 levels. Any suspended dust generated over the Texas Panhandle, far West Texas, the South Plains, and the Permian Basin is expected to settle and not have much of an impact on PM2.5/PM10 concentrations. The overall daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs are forecast to remain in the "Good" range for the majority of the Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville-McAllen, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas.

Light daytime winds and limited morning vertical mixing across far West Texas could slightly increase urban fine particulate matter, but the overall daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs are forecast to remain in the "Good" range (possibly with an isolated low "Moderate") for a majority of the region, which includes the El Paso area.

Light winds, warm temperatures, 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 a possible isolated low "Moderate") in parts of the El Paso area, with the highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

A brief surface high-pressure system is forecast to move over the state following the passing of the aforementioned cold front. Slightly elevated urban fine particulate levels associated with light daytime winds and limited morning vertical mixing over the eastern two-thirds of the state as well as far West Texas could contribute slightly towards raising PM2.5 levels to the "Moderate" range at times, especially over the more populated areas. The overall daily PM2.5 AQI could remain in the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas and stay in the "Good" range for the majority of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville-McAllen, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Laredo, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas. The daily PM10 AQI could reach the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with a possible isolated low "Moderate") in parts of the El Paso area as well.

Light winds, warm temperatures, abundant afternoon sunshine, and/or elevated incoming background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Houston area and the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with a possible isolated low "Moderate") in parts of the Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, El Paso, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, and Waco-Killeen areas, with the highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

Slightly elevated urban fine particulate levels associated with light daytime winds and limited morning vertical mixing over the eastern two-thirds of the state as well as far West Texas could again contribute slightly towards raising PM2.5 levels to the "Moderate" range at times, especially over the more populated areas. The overall daily PM2.5 AQI could remain in the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Beaumont-Port Arthur, Dallas-Fort Worth, El Paso, Houston, San Antonio, and Tyler-Longview areas and stay in the "Good" range for the majority of the Austin, Brownsville-McAllen, Bryan-College Station, Corpus Christi, Laredo, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas. The daily PM10 AQI could reach the upper end of the "Good" range (perhaps with an isolated low "Moderate") in parts of the El Paso area as well.