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

Issued: Monday, April 27, 2026, 2:33 PM

Monday and Tuesday, southerly winds will aid dispersion while partly cloudy skies hinder ozone development ahead of a stationary front over Arkansas. However, the southerly winds will also carry thin-density smoke into western Louisiana. Therefore, AQI levels will be low-Moderate in Lake Charles and Shreveport, with Good to high-Good AQI levels expected over the rest of the state on both days. Wednesday, periods of rain will limit ozone formation and promote atmospheric mixing as the front gradually moves southward across the state. However, light winds will hinder dispersion and recirculate thin regional smoke across the state, leading to another day of high-Good to low-Moderate AQI levels.

Baton Rouge

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 38 - Good 42 - Good 41 - Good
PM25 44 - Good 44 - Good 53 - Moderate

Alexandria

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 32 - Good 31 - Good 34 - Good
PM25 44 - Good 50 - Good 50 - Good

Lake Charles

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 28 - Good 29 - Good 32 - Good
PM25 53 - Moderate 53 - Moderate 56 - Moderate

Lafayette

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 29 - Good 31 - Good 33 - Good
PM25 39 - Good 39 - Good 44 - Good

Monroe

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 29 - Good 33 - Good 32 - Good
PM25 50 - Good 50 - Good 44 - Good

New Orleans

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 42 - Good 44 - Good 43 - Good
PM25 39 - Good 39 - Good 50 - Good

Shreveport

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 33 - Good 35 - Good 32 - Good
PM25 58 - Moderate 56 - Moderate 53 - Moderate

Thibodaux

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 32 - Good 33 - Good 39 - Good
PM25 33 - Good 33 - Good 44 - 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.