Is the air in Phoenix safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Phoenix is 53, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

When is the best time to be outside in Phoenix?

Sat 5:00 AM–8:00 AM. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 26. The worst hour is around Fri 12:00 PM, at 55.

What is the main pollutant in Phoenix?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 10 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

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

Within the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 6.6 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 Phoenix's air?

About 0.3 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 6.6 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Phoenix improve this week?

Today looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 58, against 88 on Sunday, the worst day in the forecast.

Phoenix air quality

Arizona, United States · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 10:00 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: 23–55US AQI, highest around Fri 12:00 PM
Best time outside: Sat 5:00 AM–8:00 AMUS AQI about 26
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 0.4×6.6 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 0.3 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

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

Pollutants in Phoenix right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	10 µg/m³	Moderate	0.4×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	18 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	20 µg/m³	Good	0.4×
Ozone O₃	42 µg/m³	Good	0.7×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	1.0 µg/m³	Good	0.0×
Carbon monoxide CO	207 µg/m³	Good	0.0×
Aerosol optical depth	0.06	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	17 µg/m³	Modelled surface dust
UV index	2	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 62 around Sat 10:00 PM, lowest 23 around Sat 7:00 AM.

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

5-day air quality forecast for Phoenix

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	33–58	Moderate	12:00 AM	9.4	2 Low
Sat, Nov 14	23–62	Moderate	10:00 PM	6.5	4 Moderate
Sun, Nov 15	38–88	Moderate	10:00 PM	12	4 Moderate
Mon, Nov 16	35–81	Moderate	12:00 AM	13	4 Moderate
Tue, Nov 17	21–74	Moderate	5:00 PM	9.2	3 Moderate

Common questions about the air in Phoenix

Is the air in Phoenix safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Phoenix is 53, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.
When is the best time to be outside in Phoenix?
Sat 5:00 AM–8:00 AM. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 26. The worst hour is around Fri 12:00 PM, at 55.
What is the main pollutant in Phoenix?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 10 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Phoenix's air compare with the WHO guideline?
Within the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 6.6 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 Phoenix's air?
About 0.3 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 6.6 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Phoenix improve this week?
Today looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 58, against 88 on Sunday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Phoenix

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 7.8 µg/m³ · Fri 9:54 AM	2.8 km	43	Good
Central Phoenix AirNow, reference monitor PM₁₀: 37 µg/m³ · Fri 9:00 AM NO₂: 34 µg/m³ · Fri 9:00 AM O₃: 26 µg/m³ · Fri 9:00 AM SO₂: 0.0 µg/m³ · Fri 9:00 AM CO: 458 µg/m³ · Fri 9:00 AM	2.8 km	34	Good
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 9.3 µg/m³ · Fri 9:51 AM	4.2 km	51	Moderate

Air quality near Phoenix

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: San Diego (26); worst: Las Vegas (52). The tick on each bar is Phoenix, at 53.

Las Vegas 412 km NW 52 Moderate
San Diego 481 km W 26 Good
Los Angeles 574 km W 51 Moderate
Fresno 791 km NW 33 Good
Salt Lake City 813 km N 38 Good
Denver 942 km NE 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 33.45°N, 112.07°W, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.