Worst air pollution Salinas, today and tomorrow

Today (15 July): Air quality in Salinas is poor. AQI and O3 are poor; PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, CO, HCHO, and PM1 are good. Pollution peaks around 9:00 AM (O3: 60.3/100).
Tomorrow (16 July 2026): Air quality in Salinas is medium. AQI improves to medium; O3 decreases to medium; all other pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 9:00 AM (O3: 44.2/100). 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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Salinas' air quality in California benefits from its Monterey Bay coastal position, with consistent onshore Pacific fog and sea breezes from the bay providing reliable maritime ventilation. The primary local concerns are agricultural pesticide and dust emissions from the Salinas Valley's intensive lettuce, broccoli, and strawberry farming operations, which represent one of California's most significant agricultural air quality corridors, alongside vehicle emissions from US-101, while the coastal position provides generally better conditions than the enclosed San Joaquin Valley to the east.

Today - 15 July | Pollution peaks at 09:00

AQI:

Poor

60.3/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Good

16.2/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Good

8.6/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Good

12.7/100

O3 (ozone):

Poor

60.3/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Good

2.6/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

0.0/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Good

3.2/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Good

11.1/100

Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day

Tomorrow - 16 July | Pollution peaks at 09:00

AQI:

Medium

44.2/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Good

17.1/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Good

8.6/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Good

12.1/100

O3 (ozone):

Medium

44.2/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Good

2.0/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

0.0/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Good

2.5/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Good

11.7/100

Pollen forecast in Salinas

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is air quality bad in Salinas right now?

On 15 July 2026, overall air quality in Salinas is poor. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 60.3/100. Pollution peaks around 9:00 AM (O3: 60.3/100).

Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Salinas?

On 16 July 2026, air quality conditions in Salinas will be better than today, with AQI forecast at medium at 44.2/100. Pollution peaks around 9:00 AM (O3: 44.2/100).

When is air pollution at its worst in Salinas?

Salinas experiences a distinct seasonal swing in air quality. Typically, winter rains provide the only real relief from an otherwise persistent haze, while hot, sunny summer conditions drive persistent ozone problems, compounded by wildfire smoke risk into early autumn. Coastal breezes offer some relief compared to inland valley locations that see heavier smog buildup.

Are air quality levels in Salinas 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