Reno Air Quality in 2021

In 2021, Reno's air quality (Reno, NV area) had a median daily AQI of 51 (Moderate) across 365 monitored days. 35 days (9.6%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 174 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 333 (Hazardous). Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 240 of those days. The cleanest month of 2021 was February (median AQI 44, 0 days above 100) and the worst was August (median 137, 21 days above 100, peak 333).

51
Median AQI
Moderate
35
Days above AQI 100
9.6% of 365 days
95
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
333
Peak AQI
Hazardous
O3
Main pollutant
240 of 365 days
174
Good days
47.7% of days
  • Good: 47.7%
  • Moderate: 42.7%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 4.4%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 5.2%

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QUICK ANSWER

How was Reno's air quality in 2021?

Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 51, with 35 days above AQI 100 out of 365 monitored — the 7th cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.

  • Peak AQI in 2021: 333 (Hazardous).
  • Ground-level ozone was the main pollutant on 240 days.
  • Cleanest month: February; worst: August.

Frequently asked questions

What was the average AQI in Reno in 2021?

EPA's Air Quality System puts Reno's (Reno, NV) median daily AQI for 2021 at 51, which is Moderate. 35 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 333.

Which month had the worst air quality in Reno in 2021?

The cleanest month of 2021 was February (median AQI 44, 0 days above 100) and the worst was August (median 137, 21 days above 100, peak 333).

Was 2021 a good or bad year for Reno's air?

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2021 ranks 7th cleanest by days above AQI 100 — the worst year on record here. 2021's median of 51 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 50.

Reno month by month in 2021

Reno air quality month by month, 2021 (Reno, NV, EPA AQS daily AQI)

MonthDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
January3149070PM2.5
Februarycleanest2844073O3
March3145050O3
April30481101O3
May3151087O3
June30541112O3
July31757212O3
Augustworst3113721333PM2.5
September30735134O3
October3145072O3
November3051077PM2.5
December3153082PM2.5

How 2021 compares

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2021 ranks 7th cleanest by days above AQI 100 — the worst year on record here.

2021's median of 51 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 50.

Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.

Right now in Reno

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Reno's AQI at 35 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.

View current Reno air quality →

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Reno, NV), 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.