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Louisiana Air Quality

Shreveport is the worst air in Louisiana right now at an index of 60, which is Moderate, from fine particles (PM2.5). AirNow carries 8 reporting areas in the state. No air quality alert is in force. Wildfire smoke has been drawn over 109 of the state’s towns today.

Reporting areas: 8
Worst index now: 60
Alerts in force: 0
Towns under smoke: 109

Fine particles on the map

Forecast fine particulate matter from NOAA’s National Air Quality Forecast Capability over Louisiana. Open it for the live map, where it pans and zooms.

Open the live map with the particulate forecast

Map layer from NOAA National Air Quality Forecast Capability. Boundaries from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet.

Alerts in force

An Air Quality Alert is issued by the National Weather Service on behalf of a state or local agency when pollution is expected to reach a level that harms health. An Air Stagnation Advisory means the air will not move enough to clear what is already in it.

None are in force in Louisiana right now. All Louisiana warnings.

By city, now and the days ahead8

Every AirNow reporting area in Louisiana: what its monitors measured this hour, and what the state or local agency that forecasts for it expects today and tomorrow. Each area links to the nearest town’s page.

Reporting area	Now	Category now	Today	Tomorrow	Pollutant
Shreveport	60	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	PM2.5
Baton Rouge Area	56	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	PM2.5
Thibodaux	48	Good	Good	Moderate	PM2.5
New Orleans	46	Good	Moderate	Moderate	PM2.5
Monroe	39	Good	Moderate	Moderate	PM2.5
Lafayette	24	Good	Moderate	Moderate	PM2.5
Lake Charles	22	Good	Moderate	Moderate	PM2.5
Alexandria		No reading	Moderate	Moderate	PM2.5

The forecaster’s discussion

Written by Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality for Shreveport and filed with AirNow.

Sunday, calm to light southerly winds will inhibit dispersion, allowing thin smoke and other pollutants to remain over the state. In addition, mostly sunny and hot conditions will be conducive for ozone production. Thus, AQI levels will be low- to mid-Moderate in most cities, with high-Moderate AQI levels expected in Baton Rouge. Monday, light winds through midday will continue to limit pollutant dispersion. In addition, partly to mostly sunny skies and very warm temperatures will support ozone formation. However, as a weak cold front advances southward into Louisiana, scattered afternoon thunderstorms will enhance mixing and reduce ozone production. Therefore, AQI levels will be low- to mid-Moderate. Tuesday, lingering thunderstorm activity will continue to limit ozone production. However, periods of sunshine and temperatures in the mid-90s will enhance ozone formation over much of the state. Additionally, calm to light north-northeasterly winds will allow thin smoke and other pollutants to linger over the region. These conditions will keep AQI levels low- to mid-Moderate in most cities.

Smoke

Where NOAA’s Hazard Mapping System analysts have drawn wildfire smoke over Louisiana in today’s satellite imagery. Smoke drawn overhead is not always smoke at ground level; each town’s page carries the near-surface forecast.

Medium New Orleans, Metairie Terrace, Metairie, Kenner, Monroe, Houma, Marrero, Laplace, Slidell, Prairieville, Terrytown, Hammond, Harvey, Bayou Cane, Shenandoah, Gretna and 47 more
Light Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Bossier City, Alexandria, New Iberia, Central, Ruston, Sulphur, Natchitoches, Opelousas, Zachary, Pineville, Baker, Crowley and 30 more

Smoke on the radar over Louisiana

What this means

The index runs from 0 to 500. Good is 0 to 50, Moderate to 100, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups to 150, Unhealthy to 200, Very Unhealthy to 300, and Hazardous above that. The figure reported for a place is the highest index among the pollutants measured there, and the pollutant that produced it is named beside it.

What these numbers are. An index beside a monitor’s name is a measurement, published hourly by AirNow and preliminary until the operating agency certifies it. A category for today or tomorrow is a state or local agency forecaster’s own forecast for a reporting area. An hourly index is NOAA’s air quality model on a five-kilometer grid, not a reading from any instrument. Where a town has no monitor within reach, only the model figures appear, and the page says so.

Towns

Air quality for any town in Louisiana: what is measured nearby, the category forecast for today and tomorrow, and NOAA’s model hour by hour. Largest first.

80 smaller towns

Smaller places have pages too; search for one on the air quality landing page.

Sources

Observations and daily forecasts from AirNow, the US Environmental Protection Agency’s program with NOAA, the National Park Service, NASA, tribal, state and local agencies. Hourly forecasts from NOAA’s National Air Quality Forecast Capability. Smoke analysis from NOAA’s Hazard Mapping System. Alerts from the National Weather Service. Index categories and breakpoints are EPA’s, as revised in 2024.