Is the air in Vancouver safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Vancouver is 83, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

When is the best time to be outside in Vancouver?

Sat 05:00–8:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 40. The worst hour is around Fri 12:00, at 88.

What is the main pollutant in Vancouver?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 27 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

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

About at 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. NO2 is forecast above its guideline level.

How many cigarettes is a day of Vancouver'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 Vancouver improve this week?

Sunday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 49, against 88 on Friday, the worst day in the forecast.

Vancouver air quality

British Columbia, Canada · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 10:00 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: 39–88US AQI, highest around Fri 12:00
Best time outside: Sat 05:00–8:00US AQI about 40
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 1.0×16 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 Vancouver. Switch pollutants, drag through the next 5 days or press play. Full map →

Pollutants in Vancouver right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	27 µg/m³	Moderate	1.0×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	27 µg/m³	Good	0.4×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	41 µg/m³	Good	1.2×
Ozone O₃	13 µg/m³	Good	0.6×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	8.2 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Carbon monoxide CO	405 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Aerosol optical depth	0.13	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	0 µg/m³	Modelled surface dust
UV index	0	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 88 around Fri 12:00, lowest 26 around Sun 08:00.

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

5-day air quality forecast for Vancouver

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	45–88	Moderate	12:00	19	0 Low
Sat 14 Nov	27–53	Moderate	9:00	6.2	1 Low
Sun 15 Nov	26–49	Good	20:00	5.4	1 Low
Mon 16 Nov	33–70	Moderate	9:00	12	1 Low
Tue 17 Nov	29–57	Moderate	1:00	8.6	1 Low

Common questions about the air in Vancouver

Is the air in Vancouver safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Vancouver is 83, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.
When is the best time to be outside in Vancouver?
Sat 05:00–8:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 40. The worst hour is around Fri 12:00, at 88.
What is the main pollutant in Vancouver?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 27 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Vancouver's air compare with the WHO guideline?
About at 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. NO₂ is forecast above its guideline level.
How many cigarettes is a day of Vancouver'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 Vancouver improve this week?
Sunday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 49, against 88 on Friday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Vancouver

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Downtown Vancouver AirNow, reference monitor NO₂: 34 µg/m³ · Fri 09:00 O₃: 31 µg/m³ · Fri 09:00 SO₂: 4.5 µg/m³ · Fri 09:00 CO: 344 µg/m³ · Fri 09:00	0.1 km	16	Good
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 4.8 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00	0.7 km	27	Good
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 2.8 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00	3.7 km	16	Good

Air quality near Vancouver

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Sacramento (29); worst: Portland (71). The tick on each bar is Vancouver, at 83.

Seattle 195 km S 62 Moderate
Portland 420 km S 71 Moderate
Calgary 673 km E 66 Moderate
Edmonton 818 km NE 62 Moderate
Sacramento 1,197 km S 29 Good
San Francisco 1,281 km S 41 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 49.28°N, 123.12°W, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.