Buffalo Air Quality in 2020
In 2020, Buffalo's air quality (Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY area) had a median daily AQI of 41 (Good) across 366 monitored days. 2 days (0.5%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 276 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 157 (Unhealthy). Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 185 of those days. The cleanest month of 2020 was October (median AQI 35, 0 days above 100) and the worst was July (median 46, 2 days above 100, peak 157).
- Good: 75.4%
- Moderate: 24.0%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.5%
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How was Buffalo's air quality in 2020?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 41, with 2 days above AQI 100 out of 366 monitored — the 3rd cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.
- ✓Peak AQI in 2020: 157 (Unhealthy).
- ✓Ground-level ozone was the main pollutant on 185 days.
- ✓Cleanest month: October; worst: July.
Frequently asked questions
What was the average AQI in Buffalo in 2020?▾
EPA's Air Quality System puts Buffalo's (Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY) median daily AQI for 2020 at 41, which is Good. 2 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 157.
Which month had the worst air quality in Buffalo in 2020?▾
The cleanest month of 2020 was October (median AQI 35, 0 days above 100) and the worst was July (median 46, 2 days above 100, peak 157).
Was 2020 a good or bad year for Buffalo's air?▾
Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2020 ranks 3rd cleanest by days above AQI 100. 2020's median of 41 is below the area's typical annual median of 44.
Buffalo month by month in 2020
Buffalo air quality month by month, 2020 (Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Month | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31 | 47 | 0 | 64 | PM2.5 |
| February | 29 | 43 | 0 | 61 | PM2.5 |
| March | 31 | 38 | 0 | 54 | O3 |
| April | 30 | 41 | 0 | 47 | O3 |
| May | 31 | 39 | 0 | 61 | O3 |
| June | 30 | 49 | 0 | 90 | O3 |
| Julyworst | 31 | 46 | 2 | 157 | O3 |
| August | 31 | 40 | 0 | 74 | O3 |
| September | 30 | 38 | 0 | 80 | O3 |
| Octobercleanest | 31 | 35 | 0 | 57 | O3 |
| November | 30 | 42 | 0 | 84 | PM2.5 |
| December | 31 | 52 | 0 | 69 | PM2.5 |
How 2020 compares
Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2020 ranks 3rd cleanest by days above AQI 100.
2020's median of 41 is below the area's typical annual median of 44.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Buffalo
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Buffalo's AQI at 24 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.
View current Buffalo air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY), 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.