Worst air pollution Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Gatlinburg, today and tomorrow
Today (16 July): Air quality in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is poor. AQI, NO2, and O3 are poor; PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and PM1 are fair; CO and HCHO are good. Pollution peaks around 12:00 AM (NO2: 77.7/100).
Tomorrow (17 July 2026): Air quality in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is poor. O3 decreases to medium; all other pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 12:00 AM (NO2: 74.0/100). Airmine updates local air quality forecasts four times daily.
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Developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) team
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park's air quality reflects the elevated Southern Appalachian mountain position, with naturally high biogenic isoprene emissions from the dense deciduous forest creating the characteristic blue haze that gave the Smokies their name. Summer ozone from the naturally high biogenic VOC emissions combining with transported urban NOₓ is a well-documented concern, while wildfire smoke is an increasingly severe seasonal challenge and the outstanding forest setting otherwise maintains generally good to moderate conditions.
Today - 16 July | Pollution peaks at 00:00
AQI:
Poor
77.7/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Fair
37.9/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Fair
27.7/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Poor
77.7/100
O3 (ozone):
Poor
65.0/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Fair
29.9/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
0.0/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Good
7.0/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Fair
29.2/100
Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day
Tomorrow - 17 July | Pollution peaks at 00:00
AQI:
Poor
74.0/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Fair
34.6/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Fair
21.0/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Poor
74.0/100
O3 (ozone):
Medium
53.5/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Fair
27.9/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
0.0/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Good
6.4/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Fair
29.8/100
Other Landmarks in Gatlinburg
Frequently Asked Questions
Is air quality bad in Great Smoky Mountains National Park right now?
On 16 July 2026, overall air quality in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is poor. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 77.7/100. Pollution peaks around 12:00 AM (NO2: 77.7/100).
Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
On 17 July 2026, air quality conditions in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be similar to today, with AQI forecast at poor at 74.0/100. Pollution peaks around 12:00 AM (NO2: 74.0/100).
When is air pollution at its worst in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
Great Smoky Mountains National Park experiences the same seasonal air quality swings as the rest of Gatlinburg. Typically, the cleanest conditions usually arrive in winter, once the humid summer ozone season has ended, while summer heat, humidity, and emissions from surrounding forests combine to drive ozone levels up. Prescribed burns are more common in the cooler months and can add brief smoke episodes.
Are air quality levels in Great Smoky Mountains National Park based on measurements or forecasts?
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.
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Data provided by Airmine — Last update: 16 July 2026 at 10:33 CEST (Data is updated four times daily.)
This forecast is produced independently using Airmine's own atmospheric data and models.
Unless explicitly made clear, the content on this site has not been paid for by external organisations and is Airmine's sole responsibility.
For long term forecasts and maps, see the Airmine app