Is the air in San Diego safe today?

Yes. Right now the US AQI in San Diego is 26, which counts as good. Great air. A perfect time to be outside. It is expected to reach 62 (moderate) around Fri 11:00 PM.

When is the best time to be outside in San Diego?

Fri 9:00 AM–12:00 PM. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 30. The worst hour is around Fri 11:00 PM, at 62.

What is the main pollutant in San Diego?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 4.6 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

How does San Diego's air compare with the WHO guideline?

Within the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 7.6 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO2 is forecast above its guideline level.

How many cigarettes is a day of San Diego's air?

About 0.3 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 7.6 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in San Diego improve this week?

Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 52, against 67 on Sunday, the worst day in the forecast.

San Diego air quality

California, United States · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 9:00 AM local time

Good

US AQI, mostly PM_2.5

Model estimate. Nearby measurements are shown separately.

Great air. A perfect time to be outside.

Next 24 hours: 26–62US AQI, highest around Fri 11:00 PM
Best time outside: Fri 9:00 AM–12:00 PMUS AQI about 30
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 0.5×7.6 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 San Diego. Switch pollutants, drag through the next 5 days or press play. Full map →

Pollutants in San Diego right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	4.6 µg/m³	Good	0.5×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	5.4 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	16 µg/m³	Good	1.1×
Ozone O₃	54 µg/m³	Good	0.7×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	1.1 µg/m³	Good	0.0×
Carbon monoxide CO	235 µg/m³	Good	0.0×
Aerosol optical depth	0.08	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	0 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 65 around Sat 8:00 PM, lowest 26 around Fri 9:00 AM.

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

5-day air quality forecast for San Diego

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	26–62	Moderate	11:00 PM	6.9	3 Moderate
Sat, Nov 14	44–65	Moderate	8:00 PM	12	3 Moderate
Sun, Nov 15	56–67	Moderate	11:00 PM	14	4 Moderate
Mon, Nov 16	43–67	Moderate	12:00 AM	12	3 Moderate
Tue, Nov 17	35–52	Moderate	12:00 AM	7.5	4 Moderate

Common questions about the air in San Diego

Is the air in San Diego safe today?
Yes. Right now the US AQI in San Diego is 26, which counts as good. Great air. A perfect time to be outside. It is expected to reach 62 (moderate) around Fri 11:00 PM.
When is the best time to be outside in San Diego?
Fri 9:00 AM–12:00 PM. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 30. The worst hour is around Fri 11:00 PM, at 62.
What is the main pollutant in San Diego?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 4.6 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does San Diego's air compare with the WHO guideline?
Within the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 7.6 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO₂ is forecast above its guideline level.
How many cigarettes is a day of San Diego's air?
About 0.3 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 7.6 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in San Diego improve this week?
Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 52, against 67 on Sunday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near San Diego

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
San Diego - Sherman Elementary School AirNow, reference monitor PM_2.5: 2.6 µg/m³ · Fri 8:00 AM PM₁₀: 6.0 µg/m³ · Fri 8:00 AM O₃: 65 µg/m³ · Fri 8:00 AM	1.8 km	31	Good
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 3.4 µg/m³ · Fri 8:54 AM	1.8 km	19	Good
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 0.1 µg/m³ · Fri 9:00 AM	5.3 km	1	Good

Air quality near San Diego

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Sacramento (29); worst: Phoenix (53). The tick on each bar is San Diego, at 26.

Los Angeles 179 km NW 51 Moderate
Las Vegas 426 km NE 52 Moderate
Phoenix 481 km E 53 Moderate
Fresno 507 km NW 33 Good
San Francisco 738 km NW 41 Good
Sacramento 761 km NW 29 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 32.72°N, 117.16°W, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.