Albany Real-Time AQI Tracker
Get Alerts For Unhealthy AQI In Your Area
When air quality in your area reaches unhealthy levels, we'll send you a quick alert, along with expert tips on how to reduce your exposure.
What's Actually In Albany Air Today?
What High AQI Means for Your Lungs in Albany
How to Read AQI
The Air Quality Index (AQI) measures how polluted the air is and how it may affect your health.
0–50 (Good): Air quality is satisfactory.
51–100 (Moderate): Acceptable, but some pollutants may pose minor concerns.
101–150 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups)
151–200 (Unhealthy)
201–300 (Very Unhealthy)
301+ (Hazardous)
Moderate
Still okay for most, but if you have asthma or allergies, take it easy and avoid long outdoor workouts.
Shop MERV 11 filters→What's the Right Filter for Your AQI Level?
Check Today's Live Real Time Air Quality Index AQI Map in Albany, NY Now
TL;DR
The live map above shows Albany's air quality index right now. At 100, Filterbuy's action line, switch to a MERV 13 filter, set the thermostat fan to On, run a portable HEPA air cleaner in each occupied room and close the house up. Fine particulate (PM2.5, the tiny particles in smoke and soot) is Albany's main concern, spiking with Canadian wildfire smoke and on still winter nights.
How to Use the Live Albany AQI Map Today
Filterbuy built this Albany air quality map for one decision: what to do in the next few hours. Tap a station to see which pollutant leads.
Key Takeaways
Fine particulate (PM2.5) is Albany's main concern. The American Lung Association gave Albany County a D for short-term particle pollution in 2026.
Filterbuy's action line is AQI 100: MERV 13 in the HVAC, the fan on On and a portable HEPA cleaner in each occupied room.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) issues health advisories when it forecasts AQI above 100.
What Albany's AQI Colors Mean and How to Respond
The U.S. Air Quality Index runs from 0 to 500 across six categories. Match the color on the live map to the row below.
| AQI | Category | What Filterbuy Recommends |
|---|---|---|
| 0–50 | Good (green) | Your normal filter. No upgrade needed. |
| 51–100 | Moderate (yellow) | Normal filter. Get a MERV 13 and spares in before smoke arrives. |
| 101–150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (orange) | MERV 13 in the HVAC, fan to On, a portable HEPA cleaner in each occupied room, house closed up. |
| 151–200 | Unhealthy (red) | Same steps. Check the filter more often and keep replacements on hand. |
| 201–300 | Very Unhealthy (purple) | Follow AirNow and local guidance first. Keep the same steps, focused on one clean room. Filtration is one layer. |
| 301+ | Hazardous (maroon) | Follow local authorities and AirNow first. Filter steps support that guidance. |
Category names, ranges and colors are from EPA AirNow. Filterbuy sets the recommendations.
Filterbuy acts at AQI 100, the top of the Moderate range, rather than waiting for the index to cross into the next category. That's where we tell customers to move.
Is It Safe to Be Outside in Albany Today?
Check the live map. Above 100, the air is unhealthy for sensitive groups, including people with asthma, COPD or heart disease, children and older adults. Above 150, it's unhealthy for everyone. For what to do outdoors, follow AirNow's health guidance and, if you have a condition, your doctor's plan.
Where Albany Gets Its Forecast and Health Advisories
NYSDEC publishes a daily AQI forecast by region. Albany shares the Upper Hudson Valley region with Schenectady. When the state expects AQI to top 100, it issues an Air Quality Health Advisory, available through DEC Delivers email or the toll-free hotline at 1-800-535-1345.
We pulled eight recent Albany-region advisories from state records. It's a sample, but six were summer smoke and two came in fall and winter.
| Advisory Date | What Triggered It |
|---|---|
| June 6–7, 2023 | Quebec wildfire smoke |
| July 17, 2023 | Western Canada wildfire smoke |
| Aug. 16, 2024 | Canadian wildfire smoke |
| Nov. 10, 2024 | Fine particles during a dry, high fire-danger fall |
| June 8, 2025 | Canadian wildfire smoke |
| Aug. 4, 2025 | Canadian wildfire smoke |
| Feb. 18, 2026 | Light winds trapping fine particles |
| July 16, 2026 | Canadian wildfire smoke |
Compiled by Filterbuy from NYSDEC, Governor's Office and local news advisory records, 2023–2026.
Albany Air Quality by Neighborhood: The South End and Beyond
The South End carries Albany's best-documented burden. NYSDEC's Albany South End Community Air Quality Study measured traffic pollution about 50% higher on South Pearl Street at the Ezra Prentice Homes public housing complex than at a Third Avenue background monitor, mostly from trucks and buses rather than port trains.
| Area | Representative ZIP | Main Local Sources |
|---|---|---|
| South End (Ezra Prentice, Mount Hope) | 12202 | South Pearl Street truck traffic, Port of Albany |
| Downtown, Warehouse District | 12207 | I-787 corridor, commuter traffic |
| Arbor Hill, West Hill | 12210, 12206 | Dense housing near arterial roads |
| Center Square, Pine Hills | 12210, 12203 | Surface street traffic, winter heating |
What Drives Albany's AQI: PM2.5 vs. Ozone
When Albany's air pollution climbs on a given day, PM2.5 is usually the reason, fed by wildfire smoke, diesel exhaust and winter heating.
Indoors, the two behave differently. Ozone breaks down quickly inside, so closing windows goes a long way. PM2.5 slips in around doors and windows and lingers for hours, and filtration is what reduces it.
How Albany's Air Compares With Other Metros
Albany's air is mixed: ozone is low, but short-term particle spikes rank 69th worst nationally. The American Lung Association's State of the Air 2026 report graded Albany's 2022–2024 data:
| Measure | National Rank | Albany County Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Short-term particle pollution | 69th worst | D (2.8 unhealthy days/yr) |
| Ozone smog | 143rd worst | B (0.7 unhealthy days/yr) |
| Year-round particle pollution | 171st worst | Pass |
Statewide readings are on Filterbuy's New York air quality map.
When Canadian Wildfire Smoke Reaches the Capital Region
Canadian smoke is Albany's biggest wildcard. In June 2023 it brought what Gov. Kathy Hochul called New York's worst air quality since measuring began in the 1960s. Advisories have returned every summer since.
When smoke settles over Albany, start with official guidance: check AirNow and any NYSDEC advisory, and follow local instructions to stay indoors or relocate. Then take these steps, in this order:
Put a MERV 13 filter in the HVAC. The central system moves far more air than any portable unit, so this is the whole-home layer.
Set the thermostat fan to On. Auto filters only while the system heats or cools.
Run a portable HEPA air cleaner in each occupied room, bedrooms first. It treats one room harder than the HVAC can. Filterbuy doesn't make them.
Close the house up. Keep windows and doors shut, and skip candles, frying, smoking and vacuuming without a HEPA vacuum.
During smoke, check the filter often and replace it when it looks dirty, which can be well before its normal interval. Keep spares on hand. Why HEPA stays out of the furnace: see our MERV 13 vs. HEPA guide.
Albany Homes Without Ductwork: What Works Instead
In Albany, 6 in 10 households rent, and 43% of homes were built before 1940, per 2019–2023 Census data compiled by Point2. If your flat runs on radiators and a window unit, there are no ducts and no filter slot. A furnace filter is no use there, and Filterbuy would rather tell you so than sell you one that won't fit. In a home like this, portable HEPA air cleaners are your primary defense.
Put one in each occupied room, bedrooms first. ENERGY STAR advises a smoke CADR at least two-thirds of the room's square footage, so a 300 sq ft bedroom needs a smoke CADR of about 200.
Choose a cleaner that doesn't produce ozone, as EPA advises. Skip ionizers and ozone generators.
During smoke, close your window AC's outdoor air damper.
A DIY Corsi-Rosenthal box built with MERV 13 filters is a reasonable stopgap when a certified cleaner isn't available or affordable. EPA advises a box fan from 2012 or newer with a UL or ETL safety mark. Don't leave the unit running unattended.
Which Filter Fits Albany's AQI Level
On Filterbuy's ladder, smoke maps to MERV 13, and it's what we run in our own homes. Most furnaces and HVAC systems can use a MERV 13 without equipment problems, provided the filter is replaced often, according to EPA. Confirm the size and slot depth the same way you would for any filter. Shop MERV 8, MERV 11 or MERV 13, all made in the USA in 600+ sizes, and set up auto-delivery so spares arrive before smoke season. For odors, see the Odor Eliminator line.
The advisory pattern points to a simple Albany filter calendar:
Late May: Install a fresh MERV 13 before smoke season, and keep a spare.
Late October: Start heating season with a fresh filter.
Supporting Statistics
1. Albany Has One of New York's Heaviest Asthma Burdens
Albany County is 1 of 13 high-burden counties, out of 62.
7 Albany ZIP codes were asthma ER hot spots from 2016 to 2019.
Why it matters: On orange days, many Albany households are sensitive.
2. The State Mapped Capital Region Air Block by Block
Sensor cars took readings every 100 meters (about 330 feet) of road.
The study covered Albany, Rensselaer, Watervliet and Cohoes from June 2022.
Why it matters: Albany's block-level differences are measured.
Source: NYSDEC Capital Region fact sheet
3. More Than 1.1 Million New York Kids Breathe Unhealthy Air
1,106,290 New York children breathe unhealthy levels of air pollution.
Nationally, 46% of children live where at least one air measure fails.
Why it matters: Children are a sensitive group.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the air quality in Albany today?
The live map at the top of this page shows Albany's current index and leading pollutant from EPA AirNow and NYSDEC monitors.
What MERV rating do I need for wildfire smoke in Albany?
MERV 13. Filterbuy's rule is to switch at AQI 100 and add a portable HEPA cleaner in each occupied room. EPA recommends MERV 13 or higher during smoke events.
How often does the live Albany AQI map update?
The map shows current conditions from EPA AirNow, which reports a NowCast reading for the most recent hour available, so Albany's real-time AQI refreshes through the day. During fast-moving smoke it can trail what you see, so also check the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map or Filterbuy's live New York wildfire and smoke map.
Is the air quality bad in Albany today?
Check the live map: over 100 is unhealthy for sensitive groups, and over 150 for everyone.
How do I check Albany PM2.5 today?
Tap any station on Filterbuy's live map to see its PM2.5 reading.
Glossary
AQI (Air Quality Index): A 0–500 air quality scale in six color-coded categories. The EPA sets it.
PM2.5: Fine particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller; Albany's main AQI driver.
Ozone (O3): Ground-level smog formed by sunlight and emissions.
NowCast: EPA's real-time AQI method, weighted toward the latest hours.
AirNow: The EPA's national air quality data network.
NYSDEC: New York's environmental agency, which forecasts air quality.
Air Quality Health Advisory: A state alert issued when forecast AQI tops 100.
COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a lung condition.
MERV: Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, the 1–16 filter efficiency scale. Filterbuy makes MERV 8, 11 and 13.
HEPA: High-Efficiency Particulate Air, the standard used in portable air cleaners, not home HVAC filters.
CADR: Clean air delivery rate, how much filtered air a portable cleaner delivers.
Corsi-Rosenthal box: A DIY box-fan air cleaner with MERV 13 filters.