Worst air pollution Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Gatlinburg, today and tomorrow
Today (20 September): Air quality in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is moderate. AQI and PM10 are moderate; PM2.5 and NO2 are fair; O3, SO2, CO, HCHO, and PM1 are good. Pollution peaks around 8:00 AM (PM10: 41.6/100).
Tomorrow (21 September 2026): Air quality in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is moderate. PM10 decreases to fair; NO2 increases to moderate; O3 increases to fair; all other pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 6:00 PM (NO2: 53.3/100). 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 - 20 September | Pollution peaks at 08:00
AQI:
Moderate
41.6/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Fair
31.0/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Moderate
41.6/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Fair
29.9/100
O3 (ozone):
Good
19.9/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Good
1.5/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
0.6/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Good
3.1/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Good
6.2/100
Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day
Tomorrow - 21 September | Pollution peaks at 18:00
AQI:
Moderate
53.3/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Fair
32.7/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Fair
22.8/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Moderate
53.3/100
O3 (ozone):
Fair
20.9/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Good
3.2/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
0.6/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Good
3.9/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Good
14.8/100
Other Landmarks in Gatlinburg
Frequently Asked Questions
Is air quality bad in Great Smoky Mountains National Park right now?
On 20 September 2026, overall air quality in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is moderate. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 41.6/100. Pollution peaks around 8:00 AM (PM10: 41.6/100).
Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
On 21 September 2026, air quality conditions in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be similar to today, with AQI forecast at moderate at 53.3/100. Pollution peaks around 6:00 PM (NO2: 53.3/100).
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.
Why doesn’t the forecast always reflect wildfire impacts?
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.
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Data provided by Airmine — Last update: 20 September 2026 at 20:27 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.
Disclaimer: Forecasts are provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as medical advice. Actual pollen and air quality conditions may vary from the forecast. If you have allergies, asthma, or another medical condition, consult a healthcare professional. Please see our Terms of Service for important information about limitations of liability.
Some text on this page may be generated or summarised using artificial intelligence (AI). Wherever possible, AI-generated content is enriched with Airmine's proprietary data to improve its accuracy and relevance. However, AI-generated content may still contain errors, omissions, or inaccuracies.
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