Worst air pollution Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Grounds - Sturgis, today and tomorrow

Today (16 July): Air quality in Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Grounds is fair. AQI and O3 are fair; PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, CO, HCHO, and PM1 are good. Pollution peaks around 7:00 AM (O3: 37.5/100).
Tomorrow (17 July 2026): Air quality in Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Grounds is fair. NO2 increases to fair; all other pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 6:00 AM (O3: 30.7/100). 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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Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Grounds' air quality reflects the flat South Dakota Black Hills foothills position, with the Sturgis Rally's extraordinary annual concentration of over 700,000 motorcycles generating among the US's most dramatic temporary vehicle NOₓ and PM2.5 surges during the August event week. The flat terrain allows some dispersal, while the extraordinary concentrated motorcycle exhaust during the Rally week creates a truly unique annual air quality event, with generally good conditions during non-rally periods throughout most of the year.

Today - 16 July | Pollution peaks at 07:00

AQI:

Fair

37.5/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Good

15.9/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Good

8.1/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Good

19.6/100

O3 (ozone):

Fair

37.5/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Good

3.9/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

0.0/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Good

5.0/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Good

14.2/100

Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day

Tomorrow - 17 July | Pollution peaks at 06:00

AQI:

Fair

30.7/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Good

13.9/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Good

5.6/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Fair

27.4/100

O3 (ozone):

Fair

30.7/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Good

3.7/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

0.0/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Good

3.3/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Good

12.6/100

Other Landmarks in Sturgis

Frequently Asked Questions

Is air quality bad in Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Grounds right now?

On 16 July 2026, overall air quality in Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Grounds is fair. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 37.5/100. Pollution peaks around 7:00 AM (O3: 37.5/100).

Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Grounds?

On 17 July 2026, air quality conditions in Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Grounds will be similar to today, with AQI forecast at fair at 30.7/100. Pollution peaks around 6:00 AM (O3: 30.7/100).

When is air pollution at its worst in Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Grounds?

Conditions at Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Grounds vary noticeably across the seasons — winter generally brings the cleanest air, aside from brief inversion episodes during calm cold spells, whereas summer heat waves and the dust of planting and harvest seasons are the main annual concerns. Wide-open terrain generally helps disperse pollution quickly once the wind picks up.

Are air quality levels in Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Grounds 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