Winston-Salem Air Quality in 2024
In 2024, Winston-Salem's air quality (Winston-Salem, NC area) had a median daily AQI of 50 (Good) across 366 monitored days. 4 days (1.1%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 189 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 122 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 220 of those days. The cleanest month of 2024 was January (median AQI 37, 0 days above 100) and the worst was August (median 54, 2 days above 100, peak 112).
- Good: 51.6%
- Moderate: 47.3%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 1.1%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Winston-Salem
Today's main pollutant in Winston-Salem is ground-level ozone (AQI 21). Important: standard HEPA filters do NOT remove ozone — only a purifier with a substantial activated-carbon bed adsorbs it. The biggest wins are cutting indoor sources (gas appliances, certain "ionizer" purifiers) and ventilating when outdoor ozone is low (early morning). A high-carbon unit helps with the gases and VOCs that linger indoors.
Recommended: Levoit Core 300 — True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft
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How was Winston-Salem's air quality in 2024?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 50, with 4 days above AQI 100 out of 366 monitored — the 6th cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.
- ✓Peak AQI in 2024: 122 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was the main pollutant on 220 days.
- ✓Cleanest month: January; worst: August.
Frequently asked questions
What was the average AQI in Winston-Salem in 2024?▾
EPA's Air Quality System puts Winston-Salem's (Winston-Salem, NC) median daily AQI for 2024 at 50, which is Good. 4 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 122.
Which month had the worst air quality in Winston-Salem in 2024?▾
The cleanest month of 2024 was January (median AQI 37, 0 days above 100) and the worst was August (median 54, 2 days above 100, peak 112).
Was 2024 a good or bad year for Winston-Salem's air?▾
Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2024 ranks 6th cleanest by days above AQI 100. 2024's median of 50 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 50.
Winston-Salem month by month in 2024
Winston-Salem air quality month by month, 2024 (Winston-Salem, NC, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Month | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Januarycleanest | 31 | 37 | 0 | 83 | PM2.5 |
| February | 29 | 41 | 0 | 88 | PM2.5 |
| March | 31 | 48 | 1 | 111 | O3 |
| April | 30 | 52 | 0 | 84 | O3 |
| May | 31 | 46 | 0 | 87 | O3 |
| June | 30 | 57 | 1 | 122 | O3 |
| July | 31 | 51 | 0 | 90 | O3 |
| Augustworst | 31 | 54 | 2 | 112 | O3 |
| September | 30 | 41 | 0 | 64 | O3 |
| October | 31 | 53 | 0 | 64 | PM2.5 |
| November | 30 | 48 | 0 | 69 | PM2.5 |
| December | 31 | 54 | 0 | 73 | PM2.5 |
How 2024 compares
Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2024 ranks 6th cleanest by days above AQI 100.
2024's median of 50 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 50.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Winston-Salem
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Winston-Salem's AQI at 21 (O3). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.
View current Winston-Salem air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Winston-Salem, NC), 2019–2025. Daily AQI per CBSA is the highest AQI reported by any monitor in the area that day; the defining parameter is the pollutant that set it. Month and season statistics pool every such day in the period across all years listed. Retrieved 2026-09-09.