Buffalo Air Quality in 2025
In 2025, Buffalo's air quality (Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY area) had a median daily AQI of 44 (Good) across 365 monitored days. 11 days (3.0%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 233 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 140 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 200 of those days. The cleanest month of 2025 was October (median AQI 31, 0 days above 100) and the worst was August (median 54, 5 days above 100, peak 140).
- Good: 63.8%
- Moderate: 33.2%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 3.0%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Buffalo
Today's main pollutant in Buffalo is ground-level ozone (AQI 23). 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 Buffalo's air quality in 2025?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 44, with 11 days above AQI 100 out of 365 monitored — the 7th cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.
- ✓Peak AQI in 2025: 140 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was the main pollutant on 200 days.
- ✓Cleanest month: October; worst: August.
Frequently asked questions
What was the average AQI in Buffalo in 2025?▾
EPA's Air Quality System puts Buffalo's (Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY) median daily AQI for 2025 at 44, which is Good. 11 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 140.
Which month had the worst air quality in Buffalo in 2025?▾
The cleanest month of 2025 was October (median AQI 31, 0 days above 100) and the worst was August (median 54, 5 days above 100, peak 140).
Was 2025 a good or bad year for Buffalo's air?▾
Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2025 ranks 7th cleanest by days above AQI 100 — the worst year on record here. 2025's median of 44 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 44.
Buffalo month by month in 2025
Buffalo air quality month by month, 2025 (Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Month | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31 | 43 | 0 | 78 | PM2.5 |
| February | 28 | 46 | 0 | 70 | PM2.5 |
| March | 31 | 40 | 0 | 61 | O3 |
| April | 30 | 43 | 0 | 84 | O3 |
| May | 31 | 39 | 0 | 74 | O3 |
| June | 30 | 58 | 3 | 104 | PM2.5 |
| July | 31 | 60 | 3 | 115 | PM2.5 |
| Augustworst | 31 | 54 | 5 | 140 | PM2.5 |
| September | 30 | 46 | 0 | 77 | O3 |
| Octobercleanest | 31 | 31 | 0 | 84 | O3 |
| November | 30 | 36 | 0 | 61 | PM2.5 |
| December | 31 | 47 | 0 | 62 | PM2.5 |
How 2025 compares
Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2025 ranks 7th cleanest by days above AQI 100 — the worst year on record here.
2025'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 23 (O3). 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.