Is the air in Calgary safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Calgary is 66, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

When is the best time to be outside in Calgary?

Sat 05:00–8:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 56. The worst hour is around Fri 18:00, at 77.

What is the main pollutant in Calgary?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 17 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

How does Calgary's air compare with the WHO guideline?

1.2 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 18 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO2 is also forecast above its guideline level.

How many cigarettes is a day of Calgary's air?

About 0.8 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 18 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Calgary improve this week?

Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 54, against 79 on Sunday, the worst day in the forecast.

Calgary air quality

Alberta, Canada · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 11:00 local time

Moderate

US AQI, mostly PM_2.5

Model estimate. Nearby measurements are shown separately.

Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

Next 24 hours: 56–77US AQI, highest around Fri 18:00
Best time outside: Sat 05:00–8:00US AQI about 56
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 1.2×18 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 0.8 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

The live globe, centred on Calgary. Switch pollutants, drag through the next 5 days or press play. Full map →

Pollutants in Calgary right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	17 µg/m³	Moderate	1.2×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	18 µg/m³	Good	0.4×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	48 µg/m³	Good	2.0×
Ozone O₃	16 µg/m³	Good	0.3×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	9.3 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Carbon monoxide CO	887 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Aerosol optical depth	0.09	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	1 µg/m³	Modelled surface dust
UV index	1	Low

“Next 24 h vs WHO” compares the forecast with the World Health Organization’s 2021 guideline levels: 24-hour means of 15 µg/m³ for PM_2.5, 45 for PM₁₀, 25 for NO₂, 40 for SO₂ and 4 mg/m³ for CO, and 100 µg/m³ over 8 hours for ozone. Above 1× is above the guideline. Levels follow the US AQI, which is far less strict than the WHO, so air rated Good can still be above a guideline.

Next 48 hours

Hourly US AQI. Highest 77 around Fri 18:00, lowest 25 around Sun 10:00.

Good 0–50Moderate 51–100Sensitive 101–150Unhealthy 151–200Very unhealthy 201–300Hazardous 301+

5-day air quality forecast for Calgary

Daily range of the hourly US AQI, from lowest to highest, on a scale of 0 to 150.

Day	US AQI	At worst	Worst hour	PM_2.5 avg	UV max
Fri 13 Nov	52–77	Moderate	18:00	17	1 Low
Sat 14 Nov	34–67	Moderate	1:00	12	1 Low
Sun 15 Nov	21–79	Moderate	0:00	6.7	1 Low
Mon 16 Nov	24–74	Moderate	1:00	7.8	1 Low
Tue 17 Nov	24–54	Moderate	18:00	4.1	1 Low

Common questions about the air in Calgary

Is the air in Calgary safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Calgary is 66, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.
When is the best time to be outside in Calgary?
Sat 05:00–8:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 56. The worst hour is around Fri 18:00, at 77.
What is the main pollutant in Calgary?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 17 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Calgary's air compare with the WHO guideline?
1.2 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 18 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO₂ is also forecast above its guideline level.
How many cigarettes is a day of Calgary's air?
About 0.8 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 18 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Calgary improve this week?
Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 54, against 79 on Sunday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Calgary

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Calgary Central2 OpenAQ, reference monitor PM_2.5: 11 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00 NO₂: 70 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00 O₃: 3.9 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00 CO: 802 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00	0.4 km	55	Moderate
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 13 µg/m³ · Fri 11:00	3.9 km	58	Moderate
Calgary Northwest OpenAQ, reference monitor PM_2.5: 8.5 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00 O₃: 12 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00	6.3 km	47	Good

Air quality near Calgary

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Salt Lake City (38); worst: Vancouver (83). The tick on each bar is Calgary, at 66.

Edmonton 281 km N 62 Moderate
Vancouver 673 km W 83 Moderate
Seattle 710 km SW 62 Moderate
Portland 884 km SW 71 Moderate
Salt Lake City 1,156 km S 38 Good
Denver 1,441 km SE 46 Good

All 162 cities →

About this forecast

Forecast from CAMS global via Open-Meteo: the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) model at about 40 km resolution (about 10 km inside Europe). Global runs update every 12 hours and European runs every 24 hours. Models smooth out street-level peaks, so busy roads and industrial sites can be worse than shown. Nearby station measurements are independent observations, not adjustments to the forecast. The point forecast uses Open-Meteo’s CAMS products, including a separate carbon monoxide product; it can differ from the globe’s global grid. The AQI rates each hour on the US EPA scale, the same way the map colors it; official daily figures average over 24 hours (8 for ozone), so they can read lower after a short peak. Readings for 51.04°N, 114.07°W, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.