Today's Texas Air Quality Forecast

Ozone Action Days are in effect today for the Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Victoria areas. Light winds, warm temperatures, abundant afternoon sunshine, and/or elevated lingering background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the middle to upper end of the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range on the west side of the Houston area, the middle of the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range on the west side of the Dallas-Fort Worth area; the lower end of the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range in the central region and west side of Austin, San Antonio, and Victoria areas; the middle to upper end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Corpus Christi, Laredo, and Tyler-Longview areas, the middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Bryan-College Station and Waco-Killeen areas; the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Amarillo, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Big Bend, Brownsville-McAllen, El Paso, Lubbock, and Midland-Odessa areas, with the highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

Light residual small associated with scattered burning activity across East/Southeast Texas and the Lower Mississippi Valley are currently producing small plumes of light smoke that will primarily affect the immediate surrounding areas, but easterly winds could move it north and eastward throughout the day. Meanwhile, light density smoke remains over the eastern third of Texas as wildfires continue to burn across Canada and the Pacific Northwest, although it could push a bit farther westward as the day progresses. Additionally, elevated urban fine particulate matter due to light daytime winds will combine with light aerosols associated with continental haze in the eastern two thirds of Texas as easterly winds continue to advect it westward. Overall, the daily PM2.5 AQI are forecast to reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts 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 and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Amarillo, Lubbock, and Midland-Odessa areas.

Very light winds, stable conditions, and pollutant carryover from the previous could slightly increase urban fine particulate matter in far West Texas with the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs reaching the upper end of the "Good" range (possibly with an isolated low "Moderate") in the majority of the El Paso area.

Ozone Action Days will be in effect Thursday for the Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio areas. Light winds, warm temperatures, abundant afternoon sunshine, and/or elevated lingering background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the middle of the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range in the central region and on the west side of the Dallas-Fort Worth area and on the south and west sides of the Houston area; the lower end of the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range in the central region and on the west side of Austin and San Antonio areas, the middle to upper end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Corpus Christi, Laredo, and Victoria areas; the middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Bryan-College Station, and Waco-Killeen areas; the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Amarillo, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Big Bend, Brownsville-McAllen, El Paso, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, and Tyler-Longview areas, with the highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

Similar conditions will persist as weak high pressure remains in place over the state, with light density smoke forecast to remain over a large portion of Texas due to the ongoing wildfires in Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Light density aerosols associated with the advection of continental haze will be the primary source of fine particulate matter as easterly winds persist in the Central and North Central regions of Texas, possibly spreading into portions of the Permian Basin. Additionally, model guidance suggests scattered burning activity in East/Southeast Texas and the Lower Mississippi Valley could also continue to produce areas of light density smoke in the immediate surrounding areas. Overall, the daily PM2.5 AQI are forecast to reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts 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 and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Amarillo, Lubbock, and Midland-Odessa areas.

Light and variable winds and limited vertical mixing in far West Texas could keep the PM2.5/PM10 AQIs in the upper end of the "Good" range in the majority of the El Paso area.

Light winds, warm temperatures, abundant afternoon sunshine, and/or elevated lingering background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the upper end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth area; the middle to upper end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Austin, Houston, and San Antonio areas; the middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Corpus Christi, Laredo, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas; the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Amarillo, Big Bend, Bryan-College Station, El Paso, Lubbock, and Midland-Odessa areas; and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville-McAllen, and Tyler-Longview areas, with the highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

Model guidance suggests light smoke will remain blanketed over the eastern two thirds of the state, expected to also spread into portions of the Permian Basin and South Plains as wildfires across Canada, the Pacific Northwest, and Southeast U.S. continue to burn. Additionally, light density aerosols associated with continental haze will also mix with the smoke in the eastern half of the state as low pressure in the Central Plains sustains easterly surface winds. Overall, the daily PM2.5 AQI are forecast to reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts 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 and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Amarillo, Lubbock, and Midland-Odessa areas.

Light surface winds and a stable atmosphere could occasionally spike fine particulate levels into the "Moderate" range in far West Texas but the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs are forecast to remain in the upper end of the "Good" range in the majority of the El Paso area.

Light winds, warm temperatures, abundant afternoon sunshine, and/or elevated lingering background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas; the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Amarillo, Austin, Big Bend, Bryan-College Station, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, San Antonio, and Waco-Killeen areas; and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Beaumont-Port Arthur, Brownsville-McAllen, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Laredo, Tyler-Longview, and Victoria areas, with the highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

Light density smoke is forecast to remain over South, Central, and North Central Texas as well as portions of the Permian Basin and South Plains as the wildfires in Canada and the Pacific Northwest persist. Additional areas of light density smoke will also remain possible in East and North Central Texas as scattered burnings also continue in the East region, Lower Mississippi Valley, and Southeast U.S., however the effects at the surface will be less significant compared to earlier in the week. Meanwhile, easterly winds in the eastern half of the state will support lingering effects of continental haze, the effects of which will also continue to diminish. Overall, the daily PM2.5 AQI are forecast to reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Austin, Brownsville-McAllen, Bryan-College Station, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Waco-Killeen areas and the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the Amarillo, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Corpus Christi, Laredo, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, Tyler-Longview, and Victoria areas.

Light morning winds and a change in wind direction that could possibly promote recirculation in far West Texas will occasionally elevate urban particulate matter but the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs are forecast to stay in the upper end of the "Good" range in the majority of the El Paso area.