Today's Texas Air Quality Forecast

Insufficient afternoon sunshine, gusty winds, and/or lower incoming background levels are forecast to be enough for ozone to stay in the "Good" range for the majority of areas statewide.

High relative humidity levels along with patchy morning fog are affecting the eastern two-thirds of Texas as well as the Permian Basin and South Plains as southerly winds transport moisture out of the Gulf. Industrial and gas flaring activities along with widespread burning activities across central and southern Mexico are expected to continue producing light density smoke and aerosols that will be advected northward and expand over portions of deep South Texas and possibly the coastal regions of Texas while mixing with the Gulf moisture. While scattered showers across South Central, North Central, and East Texas will help wash out some of the aerosols, the overall daily PM2.5 AQI is forecast to reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Austin, Brownsville-McAllen, Corpus Christi, Houston, Laredo, San Antonio, and Victoria areas and the upper end of the "Good" range in a majority of the Beaumont-Port Arthur, Bryan-College Station, Dallas-Fort Worth, Tyler-Longview, and Waco-Killeen areas.

Very gusty winds behind a cold front are expected to produce patchy blowing dust across portions of the Southern Texas Panhandle, Permian Basin, and far West Texas, especially during the afternoon to late evening hours. Additionally, a fire located in Gray County may continue producing light-to-heavy density smoke plumes, however, southwesterly winds are expected to keep the fine particulates away from the more urban areas of the Texas Panhandle. While the intensity and duration of the gusty conditions may cause PM2.5 levels to spike at times to the "Moderate" or possibly "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range, the timing of the windy conditions along with patchy morning fog are forecast keep the daily PM2.5 AQI in the lower to middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Lubbock and Midland-Odessa areas and the upper end of the "Good" range in a majority of the Amarillo and El Paso areas.

Insufficient afternoon sunshine, gusty winds, and/or lower incoming background levels are forecast to be enough for ozone to stay in the "Good" range for the majority of areas statewide.

Industrial and gas flaring activities along with widespread burning activities across central and southern Mexico are expected to continue producing light density smoke and aerosols and affecting portions of deep South Texas. Additionally, elevated morning relative humidity levels across the eastern two-thirds of the state are expected to promote fine particulate formation as well. A cold front however will facilitate scattered precipitation across South Central, North Central, East, and Southeast Texas during the afternoon and evening hours that should help wash out some of the fine particulates. Additionally, increasingly breezy north and westerly winds behind the frontal boundary will also aid with pollutant dispersion. Overall, the daily PM2.5 AQI is forecast to reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Brownsville-McAllen, Corpus Christi, Houston, Laredo, and Victoria areas and the upper end of the "Good" range in a majority of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Bryan-College Station, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, and Waco-Killeen areas. The daily PM10 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Brownsville-McAllen area and the upper end of the "Good" range in parts of the Corpus Christi and Houston areas as well.

Light morning winds and a large wind shift promoting re-circulation in far West Texas could slightly increase urban fine particulate matter, but the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs are forecast to net out in the upper end of the "Good" range in a majority of the region, which includes the El Paso area. Meanwhile, very windy conditions across the Texas Panhandle, South Plains, and Permian Basin associated with the passing of another cold front is expected to kick up patchy blowing dust at times. While fine particulates may spike into the "Moderate" or possibly "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range at times, the coverage and intensity of the suspended dust are not expected to be enough to raise the daily PM2.5 AQI beyond the upper end of the "Good" range for the majority of the regions, which includes the Amarillo, Lubbock, and Midland-Odessa areas.

Cool temperatures, gusty winds, and/or lower incoming background levels are forecast to be enough for ozone to stay in the "Good" range for the majority of areas statewide.

Following the passing of the aforementioned cold front, slightly elevated fine particulate matter combined with lingering moisture across portions of deep South Texas and the coastal regions of Texas may keep urban aerosols slightly elevated during the early morning hours, however breezy, northerly winds along with a drier airmass are expected to keep these fine particulates to a minimum. Overall, the daily PM2.5 AQI is forecast to remain in the upper end of the "Good" range in parts of the Brownsville-McAllen, Corpus Christi, Houston, Laredo, and Victoria areas.

Light daytime winds could sustain slightly elevated urban fine particulate matter across portions of far West Texas at times, however the daily PM2.5/PM10 AQIs are forecast to remain in the upper end of the "Good" range for a majority of the region, which includes the El Paso area.

Light winds, warm temperatures, abundant afternoon sunshine, and/or elevated incoming background levels could be enough for ozone to reach the middle of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Houston area; the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, and Waco-Killeen areas; and the upper end of the "Good" range in parts of the Amarillo, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Bryan-College Station, Laredo, Lubbock, and Midland-Odessa areas, with the highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.

Light morning winds and an overnight temperature inversion associated with a building area of high-pressure aloft may limit atmospheric mixing and dispersion at the surface across the more urban regions of the state, enhancing fine particulate pollution. The overall daily PM2.5 AQI is forecast to rise to the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso and Houston areas and remain in the "Good" range for the majority of the Austin, Beaumont-Port Arthur, Bryan-College Station, Brownsville-McAllen, Corpus Christi, Dallas-Fort Worth, Laredo, San Antonio, Tyler-Longview, Victoria, and Waco-Killeen areas. The daily PM10 AQI may reach the lower end of the "Moderate" range in parts of the El Paso area as well.