Tucson Forecast

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Air Quality Hourly Forecast | Tucson

Updated On: 7/2/2020 - 9:20 AM
Click on each day to view forecast.

Thursday Forecast:


Ozone

41 AQI
Max 8-hr Avg: 44 ppb

PM10

22 AQI
24-hr Avg: 24 µg/m3

Friday Forecast:


Ozone

44 AQI
Max 8-hr Avg: 48 ppb

PM10

24 AQI
24-hr Avg: 26 µg/m3

Saturday Forecast:


Ozone

48 AQI
Max 8-hr Avg: 52 ppb

PM10

25 AQI
24-hr Avg: 27 µg/m3

Sunday Forecast:


Ozone

49 AQI
Max 8-hr Avg: 53 ppb

PM10

24 AQI
24-hr Avg: 26 µg/m3

Monday Forecast:


Ozone

51 AQI
Max 8-hr Avg: 55 ppb

PM10

26 AQI
24-hr Avg: 28 µg/m3

Air Quality By Pollutant:

Pollutant
Thursday
7/2/2020
Friday
7/3/2020
Saturday
7/4/2020
Sunday
7/5/2020
Monday
7/6/2020
O3
41
44
48
49
51
PM10
22
24
25
24
26
Pollutant
THU
FRI
SAT
SUN
MON
O3
41
44
48
49
51
PM10
22
24
25
24
26
O3 = Ozone, PM10 = Particles ≤ 10 microns, PM2.5 = Particles ≤ 2.5 microns

Forecast Discussion:

A monsoon setup has arrived to bring increased humidity with daily isolated to scattered thunderstorms capable of producing measurable rain to southeastern Arizona, including over the Bighorn Fire perimeter! Light rain showers are even noted in the Tucson vicinity this morning. Monsoon moisture sticks with us into the holiday weekend. Outside of brief, gusty outflow thunderstorm winds on the local scale, regional winds are generally on the light side under the influence of an area of high-pressure.

Specific to the Bighorn Fire burning in the Santa Catalina Mountains, new growth on the wildfire Wednesday was minimal at under 400 acres, mainly on the southeastern flank. That brings total acreage now to approximately 119,000. Yesterday, strong thunderstorm winds hit the Tucson area and pushed smoke from the fire north and west. For today, any daytime smoke is primarily forecast to move toward the north-northeast, however, thunderstorm chances remain elevated, especially by the afternoon hours. These storms will have the possibility to produce strong gusty winds once again, which could move smoke in any direction with brief moderate smoke impacts possible for locations around the fire.

Additionally, brief blowing dust can accompany passing thunderstorm outflow boundaries. The good news is measureable rain is starting to add up, albeit light amounts mostly under a tenth of an inch at this point, but any bit helps.

For the air quality forecast going forward, current thinking is that 24-hour average PM10 stays in the Good AQI range, while peak 8-hour average ozone fluctuates near that Good and Moderate AQI breakpoint.

Enjoy the start of Monsoon 2020 and have a fun and safe Independence Day weekend!


- J. Malloy
ADEQ Meteorologist

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