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: A weakening ridge centered over the SW US will continue to stretch into the area over the weekend to keep temperatures well above normal in the mid 80s. Skies will be mostly sunny all weekend long with southwest winds at 5-10 mph. A cold front will move through the area early Monday but with limited moisture to work with will only increase clouds, switch winds to come from the north, and usher in a cooler and drier airmass. PM2.5 is expected to be in the yellow range through Monday. Ozone is expected to be in the yellow range over the weekend and in the green range on Monday. ML
Tuesday: Surface high pressure will move from the Great Lakes to the eastern US coastline. A weak shortwave will approach the area later in the night. Skies will be mostly sunny during the daytime with cloud cover increasing during the evening with a very low chance for rain due to the approaching shortwave. Northeast winds at 5-10 mph will switch to come from the southeast. PM2.5 is expected to be in the yellow (moderate) range while Ozone is expected to be in the green (good) range.
March 22, 2026
|
Particulate Matter 2.5 |
|
|
52 |
|
|
MODERATE |
|
Pollutant AQI Value
|
5 |
|
|
21 |
|
|
45 |
|
|
52 |
|
19 |
|
|
2 |
|
Air quality forecasts are also available via
JCDH Air Quality on