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

Issued: Friday, March 13, 2026, 2:30 PM

Friday, a temperature inversion will confine pollutants near the surface early in the day as a surface ridge of high pressure moves across Louisiana. In addition, calm to light southerly winds will reduce dispersion, while sunny skies and warmer temperatures will increase ozone production. However, low pollutant carryover from Thursday will lead to Good to high-Good AQI levels. Saturday, increasing southerly winds will aid dispersion as a surface trough of low pressure develops over Texas. However, high temperatures warming into the mid- to upper-70s will promote ozone development. In addition, local agricultural fires may contribute to particle levels. As a result, AQI levels will be high-Good to low-Moderate. Sunday, as a cold front impacts the Bayou State, increasing clouds and afternoon rain showers will limit ozone production in the northwestern corner of the state. Furthermore, moderate and gusty southerly winds will disperse pollutants and keep the lower levels of the atmosphere well mixed. However, these winds may also carry thin-density smoke from the western Gulf into western and northern Louisiana, increase particle levels slightly. As a result, AQI levels will be Good to high-Good statewide.

Baton Rouge

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 48 - Good 61 - Moderate 44 - Good
PM25 44 - Good 50 - Good 44 - Good

Alexandria

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 42 - Good 46 - Good 42 - Good
PM25 39 - Good 44 - Good 33 - Good

Lake Charles

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 45 - Good 49 - Good 44 - Good
PM25 28 - Good 39 - Good 50 - Good

Lafayette

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 45 - Good 50 - Good 43 - Good
PM25 33 - Good 44 - Good 44 - Good

Monroe

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 42 - Good 48 - Good 41 - Good
PM25 28 - Good 39 - Good 39 - Good

New Orleans

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 49 - Good 58 - Moderate 43 - Good
PM25 33 - Good 44 - Good 39 - Good

Shreveport

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 45 - Good 49 - Good 39 - Good
PM25 33 - Good 44 - Good 50 - Good

Thibodaux

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 44 - Good 47 - Good 42 - Good
PM25 33 - Good 39 - Good 39 - 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.