Fargo Air Quality in December
Across 2019–2025, Fargo's December air quality had a median AQI of 35 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Fargo, ND-MN area. 0.5% of December days (1 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 70.0% of days. The cleanest December on record here was 2023 (median AQI 31, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2022 (median 39, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 111).
- Good: 74.7%
- Moderate: 24.9%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.5%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
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How is the air in Fargo in December?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 35 across 2019–2025, with 0.5% of December days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓74.7% of December days were Good (AQI 0–50), 24.9% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓1 day of 217 reached AQI 101+; the December peak was 111.
- ✓Best December: 2023; worst December: 2022.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Fargo in December?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Fargo in December was 35 (Good). 74.7% of days were Good, 24.9% Moderate, and 0.5% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is December a good time for outdoor exercise in Fargo?▾
A typical December day in Fargo sits in the Good range (median AQI 35), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of December days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Fargo's December air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 70.0% of December days in Fargo. The highest December AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 111 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2022.
Fargo December air quality, year by year
Fargo December air quality by year (Fargo, ND-MN, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 | 38 | 0 | 64 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 31 | 46 | 0 | 65 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 31 | 32 | 0 | 62 | PM2.5 |
| 2022worst | 31 | 39 | 1 | 111 | PM2.5 |
| 2023cleanest | 31 | 31 | 0 | 65 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 65 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 31 | 33 | 0 | 56 | PM2.5 |
What December air means in Fargo
A typical December day in Fargo sits in the Good range (median AQI 35), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of December days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
December's median AQI of 35 is in line with Fargo's whole-year median of 38, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median December AQI across every EPA metro area (95,590 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 39, so Fargo runs below the national December norm; 0.5% of its December days topped AQI 100 versus 0.7% nationally (about the same).
December is part of Fargo's winter season (December, January, February); the winter page pools all three months.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Fargo, ND-MN), 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.