Worst air pollution Portage la Prairie, today and tomorrow

On 9 August 2026, overall air quality in Portage la Prairie is poor. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 69.1/100. Pollution peaks around 2:00 PM (NO2: 69.1/100).

On 10 August 2026, air quality conditions in Portage la Prairie will be better than today, with PM2.5 forecast at fair at 24.2/100. Pollution peaks around 5:00 PM (NO2: 58.8/100).

Portage la Prairie's air quality changes through the year largely because of the Simplot potato plant and Highway 1 traffic. Winter cold snaps can trap local emissions near the ground on calm days, while hot, dry summers bring farm dust and a real risk of wildfire smoke drifting in from further afield. Strong, steady prairie winds usually clear the air within a day or two of any buildup.

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.