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

Issued: Friday, August 7, 2026, 2:30 PM

Friday and Saturday, Saharan dust will gradually dissipate as light southeasterly winds transport cleaner air into the state and widely scattered showers and thunderstorms promote atmospheric mixing. However, periods of sun and temperatures in the 90s will enhance ozone formation each afternoon. These conditions will lead to Good to low-Moderate AQI levels in most cities on both days. Sunday, increasing coverage of showers and thunderstorms will reduce ozone development and aid atmospheric mixing as Gulf moisture moves northward over the state. However, calm to light southeasterly winds will limit dispersion. As a result, AQI levels will remain Good to low-Moderate.

Baton Rouge

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 71 - Moderate 64 - Moderate 50 - Good
PM25 56 - Moderate 58 - Moderate 50 - Good

Alexandria

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 44 - Good 49 - Good 42 - Good
PM25 53 - Moderate 50 - Good 33 - Good

Lake Charles

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 39 - Good 38 - Good 33 - Good
PM25 50 - Good 39 - Good 33 - Good

Lafayette

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 38 - Good 35 - Good 37 - Good
PM25 50 - Good 33 - Good 28 - Good

Monroe

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 42 - Good 46 - Good 39 - Good
PM25 58 - Moderate 53 - Moderate 50 - Good

New Orleans

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 54 - Moderate 51 - Moderate 49 - Good
PM25 62 - Moderate 58 - Moderate 53 - Moderate

Shreveport

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 47 - Good 48 - Good 42 - Good
PM25 60 - Moderate 56 - Moderate 55 - Moderate

Thibodaux

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 40 - Good 38 - Good 36 - Good
PM25 44 - 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.