Air Quality Forecast
Air quality forecasts are issued every day of the year for the Birmingham area and are based on the Air Quality Index (AQI). The AQI is a color-coded scale that reports how clean or polluted the air is and the associated health effects.
The Jefferson County Department of Health forecasts fine particles (PM2.5) year-round and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management forecasts Ozone (O3) during the warm season.
An Air Quality Alert is issued when the AQI is forecast to reach 101 or higher. The public is encouraged to decrease their personal emissions on days with higher pollution levels.
Saturday-Monday: Surface high pressure will continue to dominate the area's weather on Saturday to provide clear skies throughout the day. A trough will deepen across the central US on Sunday with a surface low developing out ahead of it. Moisture will surge northward into the area ahead of trough and low and will lead to increasing cloud coverage. The low will push a strong cold front through the area late Sunday night with rain possible Sunday evening through early Monday morning. A much colder and drier air mass will filter into the behind the front that will decrease cloud cover. PM2.5 is expected to be in the yellow range over the weekend and in the green range on Monday. Ozone is expected to be in the green range through Monday.
March 12, 2026
|
Ozone |
|
|
41 |
|
|
GOOD |
|
Pollutant AQI Value
|
2 |
|
|
39 |
|
|
41 |
|
|
15 |
|
6 |
|
|
1 |
|
Air quality forecasts are also available via
JCDH Air Quality on