Air Monitoring Data & AQI

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

Issued: Wednesday, February 4, 2026, 2:33 PM

Wednesday, as a cold front departs to the south and surface high pressure builds over the southern Plains, light to moderate north-northwesterly winds will increase pollutant dispersion. However, these winds will also carry thin smoke into the Bayou State, increasing particle concentrations slightly. Furthermore, an evening inversion will trap pollutants at ground level. As a result, AQI levels will be low-Moderate in most cities. Thursday, as surface high pressure moves southward through Texas, northwesterly winds will weaken and shift to westerly, reducing dispersion and allowing thin-density smoke to linger over the state. Additionally, overnight temperatures in the 30s will produce an inversion, reducing atmospheric mixing through the morning hours. These conditions will lead to high-Good to low-Moderate AQI levels. Friday, light west-northwesterly winds will gradually disperse pollutants as a weak cold front approaches from the north. However, a strong inversion will develop through the morning and evening hours, confining pollutants to the lower levels of the atmosphere. Therefore, AQI levels will remain high-Good to low-Moderate.

Baton Rouge

 Wednesday Thursday Friday
Ozone 43 - Good 45 - Good 49 - Good
PM25 55 - Moderate 55 - Moderate 56 - Moderate

Alexandria

 Wednesday Thursday Friday
Ozone 33 - Good 36 - Good 39 - Good
PM25 55 - Moderate 53 - Moderate 50 - Good

Lake Charles

 Wednesday Thursday Friday
Ozone 39 - Good 41 - Good 44 - Good
PM25 56 - Moderate 50 - Good 44 - Good

Lafayette

 Wednesday Thursday Friday
Ozone 42 - Good 44 - Good 46 - Good
PM25 33 - Good 44 - Good 44 - Good

Monroe

 Wednesday Thursday Friday
Ozone 37 - Good 39 - Good 43 - Good
PM25 62 - Moderate 53 - Moderate 50 - Good

New Orleans

 Wednesday Thursday Friday
Ozone 37 - Good 39 - Good 45 - Good
PM25 53 - Moderate 53 - Moderate 55 - Moderate

Shreveport

 Wednesday Thursday Friday
Ozone 35 - Good 37 - Good 43 - Good
PM25 53 - Moderate 50 - Good 44 - Good

Thibodaux

 Wednesday Thursday Friday
Ozone 34 - Good 37 - Good 44 - Good
PM25 44 - Good 50 - Good 50 - 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.