Albuquerque Air Quality Reaches Unhealthy Levels on February 24
Areazine synthesizes this EPA air-quality advisory directly from EPA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
The air quality in Albuquerque, NM, reached an Unhealthy level on February 24, 2026, with PM10 recorded at an AQI of 157.
What this EPA air-quality advisory tells you, and what most readers miss
This notice was issued by EPA on April 6, 2026 and geographically references Albuquerque, NM. Its severity classification of "medium" signals how the issuing agency weighs the risk of harm if no action is taken - "critical" and "high" tier alerts typically carry direct consumer actions, while "medium" and "low" tend toward informational guidance or monitoring advisories. The category it belongs to - Air Quality - determines the informational context it sits in, and which agency or body is the authoritative source for updates.
Most readers skim a notice like this, check whether they are personally affected, and move on. The more useful lens is to verify its scope, source, and timestamp, then compare related notices without assuming that one record proves a broader trend.
Areazine pairs this record with the original agency URL so you can check the primary source before acting. Its related labels are air-quality, epa, aqi, Albuquerque.
Current Air Quality
On February 24, 2026, the reporting area of Albuquerque, NM, observed air quality levels reaching the "Unhealthy" category. The primary pollutant of concern is PM10, which recorded an AQI value of 157. Additionally, PM2.5 was measured at an AQI of 64, which falls into the "Moderate" category.
What This Means
An AQI in the 151-200 range is classified by the EPA as "Unhealthy." At this level, the air quality is considered unhealthy for the general public, and members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
Who Should Take Precautions
While sensitive groups—including children, older adults, and people with heart or lung disease—are at the greatest risk, the general population may also begin to experience health effects at this level.
What You Should Do
Everyone should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion. It is advisable to take more breaks and engage in less intense outdoor activities. Sensitive groups should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion and consider moving activities indoors or rescheduling them for a time when air quality improves.
Source
EPA AirNow
Original source: EPA Official Notice ↗
Related Air Quality
All Air Quality →Nationwide notices with similar length or severity timing 8
Two Areazine-derived peer sets for this EPA air-quality advisory: nearest notices by body length and by same severity near the same agency date. Peers come from other categories so they are not the same-feed Related list above.
Similar body length
Nearest notices by article body length (1,137 characters here).
Similar severity timing
Same severity (medium) notices issued closest in time to April 6, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this EPA air-quality advisory.