New York, NY Air Quality & Smog

Dominant pollutants, when smog is worst, notable historical episodes, and local agency resources for New York, NY — plus how to check the current AQI. For real-time readings, the free Smog Report iOS app pulls live air quality from EPA AirNow.

Dominant pollutants

ozone (summer), PM2.5 (winter heating + occasional wildfire smoke transport).

Seasonal pattern: when smog is worst

Summer ozone driven by NOₓ from traffic + heat. Winter PM2.5 from building heating + traffic. Episodic extreme PM2.5 spikes from Canadian wildfire smoke (notably June 2023, when the metro hit AQI 484 — the worst on record).

A recent or notable event

On June 7, 2023, Canadian wildfire smoke pushed New York City to an AQI above 480, briefly the worst air quality of any major city on Earth that day. The orange sky over Manhattan was a global news story.

Local agencies and resources

The DEC operates the regulatory monitor network. NYC Health publishes the city-specific Air Pollution Surveillance reports.

• NY State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
• NYC Department of Health

How to check air quality in New York

The EPA's AirNow.gov publishes the canonical reading from the nearest regulatory monitor. For glanceable iPhone access — including widgets, Live Activities, Siri voice queries, and Apple Watch — install Smog Report. It's free, requires no account, and pulls from the same AirNow API.

For New York-specific advisories and alerts that go beyond the federal AirNow feed, check the agency pages above directly.

Common questions about New York air quality

Why does New York have air-quality and smog problems?

Summer ozone driven by NOₓ from traffic + heat. Winter PM2.5 from building heating + traffic. Episodic extreme PM2.5 spikes from Canadian wildfire smoke (notably June 2023, when the metro hit AQI 484 — the worst on record).

What are the main air pollutants in New York?

New York's dominant pollutants are ozone (summer), PM2.5 (winter heating + occasional wildfire smoke transport). The AQI on any given day is usually driven by whichever of these is highest.

Has New York had a major air-quality or smog event?

On June 7, 2023, Canadian wildfire smoke pushed New York City to an AQI above 480, briefly the worst air quality of any major city on Earth that day. The orange sky over Manhattan was a global news story.

How can I check New York's air quality right now?

The EPA's AirNow.gov publishes the official reading from the nearest regulatory monitor. For live AQI on your iPhone — with home-screen widgets, Lock Screen Live Activities, Siri, and Apple Watch — the free Smog Report app pulls from the same AirNow feed. No account is required.

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