Rochester Air Quality in Fall
Across 2019–2025, Rochester's fall (September–November) air quality had a median AQI of 34 (Good) over 637 monitored days in the Rochester, NY area. 0.0% of fall days (0 of 637) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 55.3% of days. The cleanest fall on record here was 2024 (median AQI 31, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2021 (median 37, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 61).
- Good: 84.0%
- Moderate: 16.0%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
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How is the air in Rochester in fall?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 34 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of fall days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓84.0% of fall days were Good (AQI 0–50), 16.0% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓0 days of 637 reached AQI 101+; the fall peak was 80.
- ✓Cleanest month: October; worst month: November.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Rochester in fall?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Rochester in fall was 34 (Good). 84.0% of days were Good, 16.0% Moderate, and 0.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 637 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is fall a good time for outdoor exercise in Rochester?▾
A typical fall day in Rochester sits in the Good range (median AQI 34), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of fall days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Rochester's fall air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 55.3% of fall days in Rochester. The highest fall AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 80 (Moderate), in 2021.
Rochester fall air quality, year by year
Rochester fall air quality by year (Rochester, NY, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 91 | 33 | 0 | 69 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 91 | 34 | 0 | 71 | PM2.5 |
| 2021worst | 91 | 37 | 0 | 61 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 91 | 36 | 0 | 80 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 91 | 34 | 0 | 62 | PM2.5 |
| 2024cleanest | 91 | 31 | 0 | 61 | O3 |
| 2025 | 91 | 32 | 0 | 80 | O3 |
What fall air means in Rochester
A typical fall day in Rochester sits in the Good range (median AQI 34), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of fall days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Fall's median AQI of 34 is below Rochester's whole-year median of 42, making it one of the area's cleaner periods. Nationally, the median Fall AQI across every EPA metro area (296,275 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 40, so Rochester runs below the national Fall norm; 0.0% of its Fall days topped AQI 100 versus 1.5% nationally (below average).
Within the season, October is the cleanest month (median AQI 32, 0.0% of days above 100) and November the worst (median 36, 0.0% above 100).
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Rochester, 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.