Bad Air Days in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania: 2 a Year

2 bad air days a year

Fewer bad air days than most monitored US counties. Ranked 569 of 996 monitored counties, where 1 is worst.

What makes them bad: mostly particles: smoke and dust (63% particle days).

When the bad days come in Lackawanna

Most bad days here fall in June and July and August and April and May. Averaged over 2016 to 2025.

Is a purifier worth it here?

Bad air days are rare here. A standard furnace filter is enough; no purifier needed for outdoor air.
On the odd bad day, check AirNow and keep windows shut.

The worst days on file

In 2000 to 2009 this county averaged 16 bad days a year; in 2016 to 2025, 2. The air has improved. The worst recent year was 2023, with 8 bad days on 365 monitored days.

Date	AQI	Main pollutant
2023-06-07	292	PM2.5
2023-06-06	184	PM2.5
2023-06-30	177	PM2.5
2023-06-08	175	PM2.5
2023-06-29	173	PM2.5

Most days, not the worst ones

Across 3,639 monitored days from 2016 to 2025, the air in Lackawanna County rated Good on 71% of them, close to the 72% typical of monitored counties, and Moderate on 28%. The median day sat at AQI 42; one day in ten went above 60.

The pollutant setting the AQI on an ordinary day here:

fine particles (PM2.5)50%1,807 days
ozone47%1,710 days
nitrogen dioxide3%115 days

Year by year

Year	Days monitored	Good	Moderate	Over 100	Over 150	Median AQI	Highest AQI
2025*	365	270	92	3	0	39	117
2024	366	265	101	0	0	40	97
2023	365	230	127	8	5	44	292
2022	363	259	104	0	0	43	74
2021	353	252	100	1	0	40	137
2020	366	295	71	0	0	40	83
2019	365	309	56	0	0	39	82
2018	365	248	117	0	0	41	96
2017	365	222	143	0	0	45	91
2016	366	236	126	4	0	45	129
2015	365	176	186	3	0	51	108
2014	365	185	180	0	0	50	100
2013	365	208	156	1	0	46	101
2012	366	213	149	4	0	45	136
2011	365	207	153	5	0	48	109
2010	365	208	149	8	0	46	140

*2025 may be a partial year in EPA's file.

Elsewhere in Pennsylvania

How this is counted

A bad air day is a day the county's daily AQI from EPA AirData went above 100, the level where EPA tells children, older adults and people with asthma or heart disease to cut back outdoors. Monitors do not run every day, so yearly counts are scaled to 365 days. This is the record, not today's air: for that, check AirNow. More on the method in how the county numbers are made, on the AQI 100 line in what counts as a bad air day.