Worst air pollution Alma, today and tomorrow

On 9 August 2026, overall air quality in Alma is fair. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 31.0/100. Pollution peaks around 6:00 AM (O3: 31.0/100).

On 10 August 2026, air quality conditions in Alma will be similar to today, with AQI forecast at fair at 27.8/100. Pollution peaks around 1:00 PM (O3: 27.8/100).

In Alma, air quality changes through the year largely because of its aluminum smelter along the Saguenay River. Winters here typically bring the cleanest air of the year, but summer and early fall can bring sharp, sometimes prolonged drops in air quality when wildfire smoke drifts in from across the region. Wind direction across the river determines how much of the industrial output drifts into town on any given day.

It is forecasts derived by downscaling forecasts provided by EU’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) by taking into account local conditions such as traffic patterns. CAMS bases its forecast on satellite measurements of particles and chemical compounds in the atmosphere. Airmine’s services were developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) team.

Airmine’s forecast uses CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) as its background atmospheric model. While CAMS includes wildfire emissions, these are derived from satellite observations and are not available in real time. During rapidly evolving wildfire events, there may therefore be a delay before increased emissions are incorporated into the model. As a result, the forecast may temporarily underestimate PM₂.₅ and other pollutants associated with wildfire smoke.

During rapidly evolving wildfire events, CAMS may lag by approximately 1–2 days before increased wildfire emissions are fully represented, which can lead to temporary underestimation of PM₂.₅ concentrations in Airmine’s forecast.