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

Issued: Friday, September 4, 2026, 2:33 PM

Friday, as an upper-level trough of low pressure moves slowly westward across southern Louisiana, scattered showers and thunderstorms will limit ozone development. Farther north, hot and humid conditions will promote low-level mixing, while partly cloudy skies hinder ozone formation. As a result, AQI levels will continue to be Good to high-Good. Saturday, as the trough aloft lingers over Louisiana, partly cloudy skies and widely scattered rain will limit ozone development. However, light and variable winds will hinder dispersion throughout the day. Therefore, AQI levels will range from Good to low-Moderate. Sunday, periods of rain will continue to keep ozone formation in check over southern Louisiana. However, light winds will allow pollutants to accumulate over the state. In addition, a building ridge of high pressure will hinder atmospheric mixing over northern Louisiana, while partly sunny skies and highs in the 90s support ozone development. As a result, AQI levels will be Good to high-Good for southern and central portions of the state, with AQI levels climbing to low-Moderate in Shreveport and Monroe.

Baton Rouge

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 33 - Good 47 - Good 37 - Good
PM25 50 - Good 53 - Moderate 50 - Good

Alexandria

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 34 - Good 30 - Good 37 - Good
PM25 39 - Good 33 - Good 39 - Good

Lake Charles

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 33 - Good 38 - Good 41 - Good
PM25 33 - Good 28 - Good 33 - Good

Lafayette

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 32 - Good 29 - Good 30 - Good
PM25 28 - Good 22 - Good 28 - Good

Monroe

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 38 - Good 43 - Good 51 - Moderate
PM25 39 - Good 33 - Good 44 - Good

New Orleans

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 37 - Good 50 - Good 35 - Good
PM25 39 - Good 50 - Good 44 - Good

Shreveport

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 47 - Good 39 - Good 54 - Moderate
PM25 50 - Good 44 - Good 50 - Good

Thibodaux

 Friday Saturday Sunday
Ozone 31 - Good 35 - Good 29 - Good
PM25 33 - Good 33 - Good 28 - 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.