Worst air pollution La Citadelle de Quebec - Quebec City, today and tomorrow

On 9 August 2026, overall air quality in La Citadelle de Quebec is fair. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 36.6/100. Pollution peaks around 8:00 AM (O3: 36.6/100).

On 10 August 2026, air quality conditions in La Citadelle de Quebec will be similar to today, with AQI forecast at fair at 31.9/100. Pollution peaks around 11:00 AM (O3: 31.9/100).

La Citadelle de Québec's air quality follows a seasonal rhythm tied to its hilltop fortress position above the St. Lawrence. The warmest months typically see the poorest air quality, with heat and heavy traffic driving up smog levels on windless days, whereas fall and winter tend to bring cleaner, more variable conditions. As a part of the old capital region, it shares much of downtown Quebec City's broad seasonal pattern.

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.