Buffalo Air Quality in 2022
In 2022, Buffalo's air quality (Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY area) had a median daily AQI of 44 (Good) across 365 monitored days. 2 days (0.5%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 237 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 150 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 226 of those days. The cleanest month of 2022 was September (median AQI 33, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 48, 1 day above 100, peak 150).
- Good: 64.9%
- Moderate: 34.5%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.5%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
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How was Buffalo's air quality in 2022?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 44, with 2 days above AQI 100 out of 365 monitored — the 4th cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.
- ✓Peak AQI in 2022: 150 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was the main pollutant on 226 days.
- ✓Cleanest month: September; worst: June.
Frequently asked questions
What was the average AQI in Buffalo in 2022?▾
EPA's Air Quality System puts Buffalo's (Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY) median daily AQI for 2022 at 44, which is Good. 2 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 150.
Which month had the worst air quality in Buffalo in 2022?▾
The cleanest month of 2022 was September (median AQI 33, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 48, 1 day above 100, peak 150).
Was 2022 a good or bad year for Buffalo's air?▾
Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2022 ranks 4th cleanest by days above AQI 100. 2022's median of 44 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 44.
Buffalo month by month in 2022
Buffalo air quality month by month, 2022 (Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Month | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31 | 54 | 0 | 83 | PM2.5 |
| February | 28 | 52 | 0 | 82 | PM2.5 |
| March | 31 | 43 | 0 | 71 | O3 |
| April | 30 | 40 | 0 | 61 | O3 |
| May | 31 | 43 | 0 | 67 | O3 |
| Juneworst | 30 | 48 | 1 | 150 | O3 |
| July | 31 | 46 | 1 | 127 | O3 |
| August | 31 | 43 | 0 | 70 | PM2.5 |
| Septembercleanest | 30 | 33 | 0 | 61 | PM2.5 |
| October | 31 | 39 | 0 | 61 | PM2.5 |
| November | 30 | 42 | 0 | 82 | PM2.5 |
| December | 31 | 49 | 0 | 70 | PM2.5 |
How 2022 compares
Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2022 ranks 4th cleanest by days above AQI 100.
2022's median of 44 is in line with 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.