---
title: "Prince George air quality: AQHI, PM2.5 and wildfire smoke"
description: "Live Air Quality Health Index for Prince George, BC: the forecast, 30 days of PM2.5 history, local monitoring stations and wildfire smoke context."
url: https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/air-quality/
markdown: https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/air-quality.md
site: PG Pulse (https://princegeorgepulse.ca), The pulse of Prince George, British Columbia
generated: 2026-10-16T15:28:41.635Z
---

# Prince George air quality

Prince George sits in a river valley where inversions can trap smoke and industrial emissions, so air quality here can change quickly. The Air Quality Health Index runs from 1 to 10+; lower is better.

- [Right now](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/)
- [Weather](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/weather/)
- [Climate](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/climate/)
- [Air quality](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/air-quality/)
- [Rivers and water](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/rivers/)
- [Wildfire](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/wildfire/)
- [Power](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/power/)
- [People](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/people/)
- [Economy](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/economy/)
- [Housing](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/housing/)
- [Taxes and fees](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/taxes/)
- [Land and resources](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/resources/)
- [Safety](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/safety/)
- [Cameras and more](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/live/)

## Air Quality Health Index now

Source: [Environment and Climate Change Canada, AQHI for Prince George](https://weather.gc.ca/airquality/pages/bcaq-009_e.html). [Report a data problem](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/feedback/?kind=correction&page=%2Fdashboard%2Fair-quality%2F&subject=Data+problem%3A+Environment+and+Climate+Change+Canada%2C+AQHI+for+Prince+George)

## AQHI, past 48 hours and forecast

Observed Forecast

Source: [Environment and Climate Change Canada, AQHI observations and forecasts](https://api.weather.gc.ca/collections/aqhi-observations-realtime). [Report a data problem](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/feedback/?kind=correction&page=%2Fdashboard%2Fair-quality%2F&subject=Data+problem%3A+Environment+and+Climate+Change+Canada%2C+AQHI+observations+and+forecasts)

## Pollutants right now

Model estimates for the city grid cell. The US AQI is shown because the model publishes it; Canada’s official index is the AQHI above.

Source: [Open-Meteo air quality API (CAMS global model)](https://open-meteo.com/en/docs/air-quality-api). [Report a data problem](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/feedback/?kind=correction&page=%2Fdashboard%2Fair-quality%2F&subject=Data+problem%3A+Open-Meteo+air+quality+API+%28CAMS+global+model%29)

## Fine particulate (PM2.5), last 30 days and next 4 days

Daily average PM2.5, µg/m³ Past Forecast BC 24-hour objective (25)

Source: [Open-Meteo air quality API (CAMS global model)](https://open-meteo.com/en/docs/air-quality-api). [Report a data problem](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/feedback/?kind=correction&page=%2Fdashboard%2Fair-quality%2F&subject=Data+problem%3A+Open-Meteo+air+quality+API+%28CAMS+global+model%29)

## Monitoring stations in Prince George

Stations are run by the province and by local industry. Many measure only some pollutants; a dash means the station doesn’t report that value. TRS (total reduced sulphur) is the source of the pulp-mill smell.

Source: [BC Ministry of Environment and Parks, air monitoring stations (latest hourly readings)](https://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/bcairquality/). [Report a data problem](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/feedback/?kind=correction&page=%2Fdashboard%2Fair-quality%2F&subject=Data+problem%3A+BC+Ministry+of+Environment+and+Parks%2C+air+monitoring+stations+%28latest+hourly+readings%29)

## Wildfire smoke

In most summers, smoke from wildfires in central BC and beyond drifts over the city, but how much varies a lot from year to year: August 2018 brought weeks of it. Environment Canada's 1991–2020 normals for the airport count about **5.2 days a year** with smoke or haze reported (about 9 in the 1981–2010 normals), spread across the year rather than only in summer, because fall and winter inversions trap local smoke too. During heavy smoke, PM2.5 is the pollutant that matters most for health, and the AQHI can climb above 10 even when the day looks only slightly hazy.

When smoke is in the forecast, check the [FireSmoke Canada forecast](https://firesmoke.ca/forecasts/current/), the [wildfire dashboard](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/wildfire/) for fires in the region, and [HealthLinkBC's wildfire smoke guidance](https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/more/health-features/wildfire-smoke). Air quality advisories for Prince George are issued by the BC Ministry of Environment and Northern Health.

## Sources

- [ECCC Air Quality Health Index, Prince George](https://weather.gc.ca/airquality/pages/bcaq-009_e.html)
- [Open-Meteo air quality API](https://open-meteo.com/en/docs/air-quality-api)
- [BC air quality monitoring stations](https://www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/bcairquality/)
- [BC ambient air quality objectives](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/air/air-quality-management/regulatory-framework/objectives-standards/pm2-5)
- [FireSmoke Canada](https://firesmoke.ca/)
- [ECCC Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (and 1981–2010 for comparison), Prince George Airport](https://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_1991_2020_e.html?searchType=stnName&txtStationName=prince+george&searchMethod=contains&txtCentralLatMin=0&txtCentralLatSec=0&txtCentralLongMin=0&txtCentralLongSec=0&climate_id=1096439&dispBack=0)

**How these figures are gathered**

Live figures are fetched from these providers and cached briefly on our server. Provisional real-time data can be revised by the source. When a source is down we say so rather than guess.

- **ECCC Air Quality Health Index, Prince George**: Hourly observations and forecast (location JBLVS)
- **Open-Meteo air quality API**: CAMS global atmospheric composition model: PM2.5, PM10, ozone, NO₂, US AQI
- **BC air quality monitoring stations**: Latest hourly readings from provincial and industry stations
- **BC ambient air quality objectives**: PM2.5 24-hour objective of 25 µg/m³
- **FireSmoke Canada**: Wildfire smoke forecasts
- **ECCC Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (and 1981–2010 for comparison), Prince George Airport**: Days with smoke or haze

## More in Live

[See all in Live](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/browse/#live)

- [Live overview Everything happening right now](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/)
- [Happening now Alerts, closures, outages, police](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/now/)
- [Weather Now, radar, hourly and 14 days](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/weather/)
- [Mill smell Pulp mill odour forecast](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/smell/)
- [Rivers Fraser and Nechako levels](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/rivers/)
- [Wildfire Fires, danger and evacuations](https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/wildfire/)

## Data

Machine-readable data behind this page, from the free PG Pulse API (https://princegeorgepulse.ca/developers/).

### Air quality

Source: [Environment and Climate Change Canada AQHI (Prince George); Open-Meteo air quality model; BC Ministry of Environment air monitoring stations](https://weather.gc.ca/airquality/pages/bcaq-009_e.html). Licence: Environment and Climate Change Canada Data Servers End-use Licence (https://eccc-msc.github.io/open-data/licence/readme_en/); CC BY 4.0, Open-Meteo.com (https://open-meteo.com/en/licence); Open Government Licence – British Columbia (https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/data/policy-standards/data-policies/open-data/open-government-licence-bc). Updated 2026-10-16T15:12:20.721Z.
JSON: https://princegeorgepulse.ca/api/v1/air?fields=aqhi.value,aqhi.observedAt,model,daily,stations

#### aqhi

- **value**: 1.7
- **observedAt**: 2026-10-16T14:00:00Z


#### model

- **usAqi**: 32
- **pm25**: 12.3
- **pm10**: 12.7
- **o3**: 72
- **no2**: 2.3
- **time**: 2026-10-16T08:00


#### daily

| date | pm25 | maxAqi |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-09-15 | 6.3 | 51 |
| 2026-09-16 | 1.8 | 38 |
| 2026-09-17 | 2.8 | 32 |
| 2026-09-18 | 3 | 36 |
| 2026-09-19 | 3.4 | 38 |
| 2026-09-20 | 2.7 | 40 |
| 2026-09-21 | 4 | 35 |
| 2026-09-22 | 1.7 | 36 |
| 2026-09-23 | 1.9 | 36 |
| 2026-09-24 | 3.1 | 34 |
| 2026-09-25 | 3.6 | 31 |
| 2026-09-26 | 2.3 | 34 |
| 2026-09-27 | 1.8 | 31 |
| 2026-09-28 | 1.2 | 34 |
| 2026-09-29 | 1.6 | 35 |
| 2026-09-30 | 4.2 | 32 |
| 2026-10-01 | 5.2 | 40 |
| 2026-10-02 | 3 | 32 |
| 2026-10-03 | 4 | 29 |
| 2026-10-04 | 4.2 | 27 |
| 2026-10-05 | 1.7 | 33 |
| 2026-10-06 | 8.4 | 42 |
| 2026-10-07 | 10.5 | 60 |
| 2026-10-08 | 4.3 | 53 |
| 2026-10-09 | 0.5 | 27 |
| 2026-10-10 | 1.7 | 32 |
| 2026-10-11 | 4.4 | 31 |
| 2026-10-12 | 2.4 | 27 |
| 2026-10-13 | 5.6 | 31 |
| 2026-10-14 | 2 | 37 |
| 2026-10-15 | 4 | 32 |
| 2026-10-16 | 8.6 | 48 |
| 2026-10-17 | 1.8 | 48 |
| 2026-10-18 | 1.5 | 31 |
| 2026-10-19 | 5.1 | 31 |


#### stations

| name | lat | lng | pm25 | pm25_24 | pm10 | o3 | no2 | so2 | trs |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Exploration Place | 53.905139 | -122.734049 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 |
| Glenview School | 53.996 | -122.776 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Jail | 53.908018 | -122.713337 |  |  |  |  |  | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Lakewood | 53.9156 | -122.7958 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0.4 |
| Plaza 400 | 53.91472 | -122.74194 | 3.5 | 9.8 | 7.7 | 24.7 | 3.9 | 0.4 | 0 |
| Pulp | 53.9244 | -122.6861 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

---

Markdown version of https://princegeorgepulse.ca/dashboard/air-quality/. Guide for AI agents: https://princegeorgepulse.ca/llms.txt. Free API: https://princegeorgepulse.ca/developers/