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

Issued: Wednesday, March 11, 2026, 2:32 PM

Wednesday, southerly winds will aid dispersion ahead of an approaching cold front. In addition, vertical mixing will be enhanced, while clouds and scattered thunderstorms in the latter portion of the day will hinder ozone development. However, pollutant carryover will yield low-Moderate AQI levels in Lake Charles, with Good to high-Good AQI levels elsewhere. Thursday, winds behind the departing front will shift to northerly. These winds will carry cleaner, cooler air into the Bayou State, yielding Good to high-Good AQI levels statewide. Friday, a strong morning temperature inversion will trap pollutants near the ground. By the afternoon, calm to light southerly winds will reduce dispersion, while sunny skies and warmer temperatures will increase ozone production. Therefore, AQI levels will be high-Good to low-Moderate statewide.

Baton Rouge

 Wednesday Thursday Friday
Ozone 30 - Good 43 - Good 51 - Moderate
PM25 39 - Good 28 - Good 50 - Good

Alexandria

 Wednesday Thursday Friday
Ozone 28 - Good 40 - Good 47 - Good
PM25 33 - Good 22 - Good 44 - Good

Lake Charles

 Wednesday Thursday Friday
Ozone 28 - Good 41 - Good 49 - Good
PM25 53 - Moderate 44 - Good 56 - Moderate

Lafayette

 Wednesday Thursday Friday
Ozone 29 - Good 42 - Good 50 - Good
PM25 44 - Good 33 - Good 53 - Moderate

Monroe

 Wednesday Thursday Friday
Ozone 27 - Good 39 - Good 46 - Good
PM25 39 - Good 28 - Good 50 - Good

New Orleans

 Wednesday Thursday Friday
Ozone 32 - Good 45 - Good 58 - Moderate
PM25 39 - Good 28 - Good 50 - Good

Shreveport

 Wednesday Thursday Friday
Ozone 29 - Good 40 - Good 47 - Good
PM25 33 - Good 22 - Good 44 - Good

Thibodaux

 Wednesday Thursday Friday
Ozone 28 - Good 43 - Good 51 - Moderate
PM25 44 - Good 33 - Good 53 - Moderate

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.