Charleston, WV Air Quality in Fall
Across 2019–2025, Charleston's fall (September–November) air quality had a median AQI of 37 (Good) over 630 monitored days in the Charleston, WV area. 0.0% of fall days (0 of 630) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 61.0% of days. The cleanest fall on record here was 2022 (median AQI 32, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2024 (median 39, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 83).
- Good: 81.1%
- Moderate: 18.9%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Charleston
Today's main pollutant in Charleston is ground-level ozone (AQI 17). 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.
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How is the air in Charleston in fall?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 37 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of fall days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓81.1% of fall days were Good (AQI 0–50), 18.9% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓0 days of 630 reached AQI 101+; the fall peak was 83.
- ✓Cleanest month: October; worst month: September.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Charleston in fall?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Charleston in fall was 37 (Good). 81.1% of days were Good, 18.9% Moderate, and 0.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 630 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is fall a good time for outdoor exercise in Charleston?▾
A typical fall day in Charleston sits in the Good range (median AQI 37), 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 Charleston's fall air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 61.0% of fall days in Charleston. The highest fall AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 83 (Moderate), in 2024.
Charleston fall air quality, year by year
Charleston fall air quality by year (Charleston, WV, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 91 | 37 | 0 | 67 | O3 |
| 2020 | 91 | 38 | 0 | 65 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 91 | 37 | 0 | 58 | PM2.5 |
| 2022cleanest | 86 | 32 | 0 | 58 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 91 | 37 | 0 | 81 | PM2.5 |
| 2024worst | 89 | 39 | 0 | 83 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 91 | 36 | 0 | 56 | PM2.5 |
What fall air means in Charleston
A typical fall day in Charleston sits in the Good range (median AQI 37), 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 37 is below Charleston's whole-year median of 41, 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 Charleston runs in line with 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 34, 0.0% of days above 100) and September the worst (median 41, 0.0% above 100).
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Charleston
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Charleston's AQI at 17 (O3). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.
View current Charleston air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Charleston, WV), 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.