Buffalo 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 Buffalo Air Today?
What High AQI Means for Your Lungs in Buffalo
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 Buffalo, NY Now
TL;DR
The live AQI map on this page shows Buffalo's current air quality, drawn from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) monitors via the EPA's AirNow system. A reading under 50 is Good, and once it passes 100, sensitive groups should scale back outdoors. Most of Buffalo's swings come from PM2.5, fine particles small enough to reach deep into the lungs, and from ground-level ozone, while Canadian wildfire smoke now drives the region's worst days. Filterbuy has built HVAC filters in the U.S. since 2013, so this page also covers what to do indoors.
How to Read Buffalo's Live AQI Map Right Now
Filterbuy builds the map above from EPA AirNow and DEC monitor data, color-coded to the six official AQI categories. The tracker also shows which pollutant is driving the reading.
Key Takeaways
Readings near the Peace Bridge and Buffalo's expressways can differ from the Northtowns in the same hour.
State of the Air 2026 gave the Buffalo metro passing grades, but unhealthy particle days are trending upward.
AQI 100 is Filterbuy's action line: MERV 13 in the HVAC, the fan set to On, a portable HEPA air cleaner in each occupied room and the house closed up.
What Each Buffalo AQI Category Means and What to Do
The U.S. AQI runs 0 to 500 across six categories. Match the live map's color to the row below.
Categories and precautions follow EPA AirNow guidance. Follow the category shown on the live map above.
What to Do Indoors When Buffalo's AQI Reaches 100
Check AirNow and DEC guidance first, then set up your home. AQI 100 is Filterbuy's action line. It's still the top of the EPA's Moderate range, so we're asking you to move before the air turns orange. At 100 and above:
Put MERV 13 in the HVAC. It's the whole-home layer, because the central system moves far more air than any portable unit. The EPA recommends a filter rated MERV 13 or higher during smoke events.
Set the thermostat fan to On. Auto only filters while the system heats or cools. On filters continuously.
Run a portable HEPA air cleaner in each occupied room, bedrooms first. That's Filterbuy's recommendation, and it goes further than the EPA's single clean room. The EPA sizing rule is a smoke CADR of at least two-thirds of the room's square footage, so a 300-square-foot bedroom needs a smoke CADR of about 200. Skip ionizers and ozone generators, since the EPA advises against air cleaners that produce ozone.
Close the house up. Shut windows and doors, and skip candles, frying, smoking and vacuuming without a sealed unit.
During smoke, check the filter often and replace it once it looks dark brown or black, which can be well before the normal interval. Keep spares on hand. At 201 and above, official guidance comes first, and filtration is one layer, not the whole answer.
Why the Buffalo Reading Can Lag What You See
The haze over City Hall can look worse than the number. That's because the EPA reports current AQI as a NowCast, an average of up to 12 hours that trails a fast-moving smoke plume. During smoke, cross-check the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map.
Is Buffalo's Air Safe to Breathe Today?
Under 50, the air is good for everyone, and from 51 to 100 it's acceptable for most people. Above 100, people with asthma, COPD or heart disease, along with children and adults over 65, should limit their time outdoors. That's EPA guidance. Above 150, everyone should cut back. With a diagnosed condition, follow your doctor's plan.
Where to Check Buffalo's Air Quality Forecast
DEC meteorologists forecast air quality for the Western New York region, including Erie and Niagara counties. DEC and the state Department of Health issue an Air Quality Health Advisory when ozone or PM2.5 is expected to exceed AQI 100.
Buffalo's Air Quality Calendar
Filterbuy lined up DEC's past advisories to show when each risk arrives:
May–June: ozone starts early. DEC issued ozone advisories on May 19, 2021 and June 1, 2023. Watch hot, sunny afternoons, when cooler lake air caps pollution near the ground, and move workouts to the morning.
June–August: smoke season. Canadian smoke drove advisories in June 2023, August 2025 and July 2026. Get MERV 13 in before the season, and keep a spare.
September–March: heating season. Put in a fresh filter before the furnace's first long run, then change it on schedule.
Buffalo Air Quality by Neighborhood and ZIP Code
Buffalo's air varies most along its highway and border corridors, so checking air quality by ZIP code tells you more than a citywide number. In 2022–2023 mobile monitoring, DEC's Community Air Monitoring Initiative found PM2.5 and black carbon hot spots where the Scajaquada meets the Kensington Expressway, near Hamlin Park.
For current readings, use the live map above.
What's Actually in Buffalo's Air?
In Buffalo, the AQI is almost always set by PM2.5 or ground-level ozone, whichever scores higher.
A 2007 U.S.–Canada field study, BAQS-Met, found that Lake Erie often acts as an ozone production zone and lake breezes carry it inland.
Indoors, ozone and PM2.5 part ways. Ozone breaks down quickly, but PM2.5 slips in around windows and doors and stays suspended for hours. That's the pollutant Filterbuy filters are built to catch, and it's where your MERV rating matters.
How Buffalo's Air Compares With Other U.S. Cities
In the American Lung Association's State of the Air 2026, the Buffalo metro ranked 143rd worst for ozone and 137th worst for short-term particle pollution. Compare cities on Filterbuy's New York air quality map or the Filterbuy AQI resource hub.
Canadian Wildfire Smoke in Buffalo
Canadian wildfire smoke is now a recurring summer problem in Buffalo. On July 15, 2026, DEC forecast a PM2.5 AQI of 195 for the region, and on July 16 Buffalo's reading reached Very Unhealthy.
For smoke-day steps, see Filterbuy's Buffalo wildfire and smoke map.
What If Your Buffalo Home Has No Ductwork?
Census figures reported by WGRZ rank Buffalo's homes among the oldest of any large U.S. city. If your home heats with a boiler and radiators, there's no ductwork and no filter slot, so the MERV advice here doesn't apply. For these homes, a portable HEPA air cleaner is the primary defense, not a supplement. Size it with the EPA rule above, run it in the room where you sleep, keep windows shut during smoke and set window AC units to recirculate. Don't seal yourself into a hot apartment without cooling.
Filterbuy's Take: Buffalo's Two Air Seasons Hit Different Equipment
Filterbuy makes the filters that decide what happens once outdoor air gets inside, and two things stand out:
Winter is the steady-exposure season. DEC's Peace Bridge Community Air Quality Study found PM2.5 highest in winter at both West Side monitors, exactly when Buffalo blowers run most. Our rule of thumb: a filter changed on schedule outperforms a clogged one.
Summer smoke arrives when the blower is idle. A mild, lake-cooled July gives many Buffalo furnace fans little reason to run, so set the fan to On during smoke.
Our order data from the 2023 Canadian smoke events showed filter replacement requests rising more than 300 percent. Our advice to Buffalo families: install MERV 13 in your size before smoke season and keep a spare on the shelf.
Filterbuy Air Quality Team
If you'd rather not keep track, put replacements on filter auto-delivery.
Which Filter Your Buffalo AQI Level Calls For
For smoke, the tier is MERV 13. Filterbuy cuts more than 600 standard sizes plus custom filters, so MERV 13 comes in your size, even for odd-size returns in older homes. For everyday dust and pollen, MERV 8 and MERV 11 cover normal days. Pleated filters capture particles, not odors, so for smoke smell, look at the Odor Eliminator line.
AQI 100 is Filterbuy's action line. It's our trigger to act, not a change in category.
Most furnaces and HVAC systems can accommodate MERV 13 without equipment problems, provided the filter is replaced frequently. Treat it like any filter change and confirm the size and slot depth.
Supporting Statistics
Wildfire smoke hits lungs harder.
Each 10 µg/m³ of wildfire PM2.5 raised respiratory hospitalizations 1.3–10%, versus 0.67–1.3% for other PM2.5.
Source: Nature Communications (2021), via National Library of Medicine
Buffalo leads New York in asthma hot spots.
19 Buffalo ZIP codes were asthma ER-visit hot spots in 2016–2019, more than any other city in the state analysis.
Nearly half of U.S. kids breathe unhealthy air.
33.5 million children (46%) live where at least one pollution measure earned a failing grade.
That includes 1,106,290 kids in New York.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Air Quality in Buffalo Today?
Check Filterbuy's live AQI map at the top of this page. It shows the current reading, category and dominant pollutant, updated throughout the day.
What MERV Rating Do I Need for Wildfire Smoke in Buffalo?
MERV 13. Filterbuy recommends switching to it when the AQI reaches 100. The EPA recommends a filter rated MERV 13 or higher during smoke events. See the best MERV filter for wildfire smoke.
Is the Air Quality Bad in Buffalo Today?
Air is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups once the map shows a reading above 100, and unhealthy for everyone above 150.
How Do I Get Air Quality Alerts for Buffalo?
Use the AQI alert sign-up on this page, which emails you when your ZIP code reaches unhealthy levels. You can also sign up for DEC Delivers or call DEC's Air Quality Hotline at 1-800-535-1345.
Where Can I See Buffalo PM2.5 Levels Today?
The live map shows whether PM2.5 is driving the reading. DEC also posts hourly monitor data for its Erie County stations.
Glossary
AQI (Air Quality Index): The EPA's 0-to-500 air pollution scale, in six color-coded categories.
PM2.5: Fine particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller, the main pollutant in wildfire smoke.
CADR: Clean Air Delivery Rate, how much filtered air a portable cleaner delivers.
MERV: Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, the 1-to-16 scale for how well an HVAC filter captures particles.