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

Issued: Monday, February 23, 2026, 2:30 PM

Monday, lingering smoke from regional fires will keep particle levels elevated across portions of southern Louisiana early in the day. As surface high pressure passes to the north, moderate northerly winds will develop through the middle part of the day, dispersing pollutants and bringing cleaner air into the state. However, as temperatures drop into the low-30s in the evening, a strong temperature inversion will develop. Additionally, decreasing winds will lead to pollutant accumulation in the evening. As a result, AQI levels will be high-Good in most cities, with low-Moderate AQI levels expected in New Orleans. Tuesday, calm winds and a strong inversion will allow pollutants to linger over Louisiana through the morning hours. However, light to moderate south-southwesterly winds will increase dispersion in the afternoon and evening as a surface high moves into the southeastern U.S. As a result, AQI levels will be high-Good to low-Moderate statewide. Wednesday, as a low pressure system deepens to the northwest, moderate southerly winds will keep pollutants well dispersed in the Bayou State, yielding Good AQI levels statewide.

Baton Rouge

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 44 - Good 46 - Good 40 - Good
PM25 44 - Good 53 - Moderate 44 - Good

Alexandria

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 39 - Good 41 - Good 37 - Good
PM25 33 - Good 44 - Good 39 - Good

Lake Charles

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

Lafayette

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 42 - Good 44 - Good 37 - Good
PM25 33 - Good 44 - Good 39 - Good

Monroe

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 39 - Good 42 - Good 35 - Good
PM25 39 - Good 44 - Good 33 - Good

New Orleans

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 42 - Good 45 - Good 39 - Good
PM25 58 - Moderate 53 - Moderate 39 - Good

Shreveport

 Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Ozone 41 - Good 44 - Good 40 - Good
PM25 33 - Good 44 - Good 39 - Good

Thibodaux

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