Worst air pollution Gatineau, today and tomorrow

On 30 August 2026, overall air quality in Gatineau is good. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 18.8/100. Pollution peaks around 1:00 PM (O3: 18.8/100).

On 31 August 2026, air quality conditions in Gatineau will be worse than today, with AQI forecast at fair at 21.7/100. Pollution peaks around 11:00 PM (NO2: 21.7/100).

The air over Gatineau varies through the year, influenced by its position across the Ottawa River from downtown Ottawa. Warmer months usually bring elevated ozone and haze as heat, sunlight and vehicle emissions interact, while cooler months bring a marked improvement, apart from occasional temperature inversions that trap pollutants near the surface overnight. Being farther from the downtown core generally keeps conditions a little calmer here than in central Ottawa.

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.