Rochester Air Quality in Summer
Across 2019–2025, Rochester's summer (June–August) air quality had a median AQI of 45 (Good) over 644 monitored days in the Rochester, NY area. 2.7% of summer days (17 of 644) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 52.0% of days. The cleanest summer on record here was 2019 (median AQI 42, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 53, 8 days above 100, peak AQI 176).
- Good: 61.8%
- Moderate: 35.6%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 1.9%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.8%
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How is the air in Rochester in summer?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 45 across 2019–2025, with 2.7% of summer days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓61.8% of summer days were Good (AQI 0–50), 35.6% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓17 days of 644 reached AQI 101+; the summer peak was 176.
- ✓Cleanest month: July; worst month: June.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Rochester in summer?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Rochester in summer was 45 (Good). 61.8% of days were Good, 35.6% Moderate, and 2.7% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 644 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is summer a good time for outdoor exercise in Rochester?▾
A typical summer day in Rochester sits in the Good range (median AQI 45), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 37 of summer days (2.7%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Rochester's summer air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 52.0% of summer days in Rochester. The highest summer AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 176 (Unhealthy), in 2023.
Rochester summer air quality, year by year
Rochester summer air quality by year (Rochester, NY, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019cleanest | 92 | 42 | 0 | 90 | O3 |
| 2020 | 92 | 43 | 0 | 80 | O3 |
| 2021 | 92 | 48 | 0 | 97 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 92 | 40 | 2 | 126 | O3 |
| 2023worst | 92 | 53 | 8 | 176 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 92 | 49 | 0 | 90 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 92 | 48 | 7 | 135 | PM2.5 |
What summer air means in Rochester
A typical summer day in Rochester sits in the Good range (median AQI 45), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 37 of summer days (2.7%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Summer's median AQI of 45 is in line with Rochester's whole-year median of 42, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median Summer AQI across every EPA metro area (308,645 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 46, so Rochester runs in line with the national Summer norm; 2.7% of its Summer days topped AQI 100 versus 3.6% nationally (about the same).
Within the season, July is the cleanest month (median AQI 48, 0.5% of days above 100) and June the worst (median 46, 5.3% 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.