Is the air in Houston safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Houston is 61, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

When is the best time to be outside in Houston?

Sat 6:00 AM–9:00 AM. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 42. The worst hour is around Fri 6:00 PM, at 82.

What is the main pollutant in Houston?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 15 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

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

1.1 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 16 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. The other pollutants stay within their guideline levels.

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

About 0.7 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 16 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Houston improve this week?

Monday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 46, against 84 on Friday, the worst day in the forecast.

Houston air quality

Texas, United States · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 11:00 AM 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: 42–82US AQI, highest around Fri 6:00 PM
Best time outside: Sat 6:00 AM–9:00 AMUS AQI about 42
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 1.1×16 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 0.7 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

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

Pollutants in Houston right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	15 µg/m³	Moderate	1.1×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	15 µg/m³	Good	0.4×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	21 µg/m³	Good	0.8×
Ozone O₃	65 µg/m³	Good	0.9×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	6.0 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Carbon monoxide CO	231 µg/m³	Good	0.0×
Aerosol optical depth	0.07	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	0 µg/m³	Modelled surface dust
UV index	5	Moderate

“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 82 around Fri 6:00 PM, lowest 42 around Sat 6:00 AM.

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

5-day air quality forecast for Houston

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, Nov 13	60–84	Moderate	7:00 AM	20	5 Moderate
Sat, Nov 14	42–72	Moderate	12:00 AM	10	4 Moderate
Sun, Nov 15	29–58	Moderate	6:00 PM	9.6	1 Low
Mon, Nov 16	29–46	Good	5:00 PM	6.2	1 Low
Tue, Nov 17	38–63	Moderate	6:00 PM	10	4 Moderate

Common questions about the air in Houston

Is the air in Houston safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Houston is 61, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.
When is the best time to be outside in Houston?
Sat 6:00 AM–9:00 AM. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 42. The worst hour is around Fri 6:00 PM, at 82.
What is the main pollutant in Houston?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 15 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Houston's air compare with the WHO guideline?
1.1 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 16 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. The other pollutants stay within their guideline levels.
How many cigarettes is a day of Houston's air?
About 0.7 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 16 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Houston improve this week?
Monday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 46, against 84 on Friday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Houston

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 7.1 µg/m³ · Fri 11:05 AM	1.4 km	39	Good
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 11 µg/m³ · Fri 11:01 AM	2.4 km	54	Moderate
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 8.7 µg/m³ · Fri 11:00 AM	2.5 km	48	Good

Air quality near Houston

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Dallas (26); worst: Mexico City (66). The tick on each bar is Houston, at 61.

Dallas 362 km N 26 Good
Monterrey 665 km SW 40 Good
Atlanta 1,128 km NE 33 Good
Mexico City 1,210 km S 66 Moderate
Guadalajara 1,291 km SW 54 Moderate
Denver 1,414 km NW 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 29.76°N, 95.37°W, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.