Ozone and PM2.5 Air Quality Index (AQI) Forecast

Issued: Monday, October 5, 2026, 2:30 PM

Monday, increasing sun will aid ozone development over northern and central Louisiana. However, periods of moderate northeasterly winds will enhance mixing and dispersion. Farther south, mostly cloudy skies and thunderstorms will continue to limit ozone formation as a cold front slowly shifts to the south. As a result, AQI levels will be high-Good to low-Moderate in northern and central Louisiana, with Good AQI levels continuing for southern portions of the state. Tuesday and Wednesday, a low pressure system over the northeastern Gulf will produce continued northeasterly winds over much of Louisiana, gradually dispersing pollutants. However, lower wind speeds will lead to pollutant build-up over northern Louisiana. Additionally, increasing sunshine will enhance ozone formation statewide. As a result, AQI levels will be Good to high-Good in most cities, with low-Moderate AQI levels continuing in Shreveport on both days.

Baton Rouge

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 31 - Good 41 - Good 44 - Good
PM25 33 - Good 39 - Good 39 - Good

Alexandria

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 33 - Good 41 - Good 43 - Good
PM25 39 - Good 44 - Good 39 - Good

Lake Charles

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 31 - Good 37 - Good 40 - Good
PM25 33 - Good 44 - Good 39 - Good

Lafayette

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 26 - Good 35 - Good 39 - Good
PM25 33 - Good 39 - Good 33 - Good

Monroe

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 44 - Good 46 - Good 48 - Good
PM25 33 - Good 44 - Good 39 - Good

New Orleans

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 28 - Good 37 - Good 43 - Good
PM25 28 - Good 39 - Good 33 - Good

Shreveport

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 44 - Good 48 - Good 51 - Moderate
PM25 56 - Moderate 55 - Moderate 53 - Moderate

Thibodaux

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 26 - Good 34 - Good 37 - Good
PM25 28 - Good 39 - Good 33 - Good

More Information About Understanding AQI Information

The AQI is an index for reporting daily air quality. It tells you how clean or unhealthy your air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern. The AQI focuses on health effects you may experience within a few hours or days after breathing unhealthy air. The following chart provides information regarding the AQI determinations:

Category AQI Value What This Means
Good 0-50 Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.
Moderate 51-100 Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 101-150 Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected.
Unhealthy 151-200 Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
Very Unhealthy 201-300 Health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected.
Hazardous 301-500 Health alert: everyone may experience more serious health effects.

Any questions about interpreting this monitoring data should be directed to the DEQ Customer Services Section at 1-866-896-5337.

TO REPORT ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS, INCLUDING ODORS, CONTACT THE DEQ SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT (SPOC) - 225-219-3640 or Toll Free 1-888-763-5424. In the event of an environmental emergency, citizens are encouraged to first contact their local authorities - police, sheriff, fire department, etc. Otherwise citizens and the regulated community can contact the SPOC line to report environmental concerns during business hours, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday at the number listed above. To report a concern outside of business hours call 225-342-1234 or the toll free number. Concerns include spills, releases, odors, fish kills, open burning, waste tires and any other types of environmental incidents. Citizens can report the incident online.

The data has not been quality reviewed or validated. Continuous PM2.5 readings shown are not NAAQS comparable.