Niagara Falls Real-Time AQI Tracker
What's Actually In Niagara Falls Air Today?
What High AQI Means for Your Lungs in Niagara Falls
How to Read AQI
The Air Quality Index (AQI) measures how polluted the air is and how it may affect your health.
0–50 (Good): Air quality is satisfactory.
51–100 (Moderate): Acceptable, but some pollutants may pose minor concerns.
101–150 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups)
151–200 (Unhealthy)
201–300 (Very Unhealthy)
301+ (Hazardous)
Moderate
Still okay for most, but if you have asthma or allergies, take it easy and avoid long outdoor workouts.
Shop MERV 11 filters→What's the Right Filter for Your AQI Level?
Check Today's Live Real Time Air Quality Index AQI Map in Niagara Falls, ON Now
TL;DR
Check the live air quality map above for current local conditions in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Then confirm the official reading on Canada's Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) for St. Catharines, the provincial station that covers the city. The AQHI runs from 1 to 10+: 1 to 3 is low risk, 4 to 6 is moderate, 7 to 10 is high, and above 10 is very high. At 4 or higher, put a MERV 13 filter in your furnace and set the thermostat fan to On. At 7 or higher, or during an Environment Canada air quality alert, also run a portable HEPA air cleaner in each occupied room and keep windows and doors shut.
Key Takeaways
Niagara Falls has no AQHI station. Its official reading comes from St. Catharines, 15 kilometres northwest.
Filterbuy's action line: MERV 13 and the fan on at 4, then the full smoke plan at 7 or during an alert.
Health Canada's cleaner air guidance recommends MERV 13 or higher HVAC filters for smoke.
How to Use the Live Map With Canada's AQHI
The live map is the quickest way to spot a change: it shows each monitoring point's reading and the pollutant behind it. Then use the St. Catharines AQHI to decide what to do, or compare Niagara with Filterbuy's Ontario live air quality map, the Toronto live AQI map or the live air quality map for Canada.
What We Found When We Mapped the Monitors Near the Falls
None of Ontario's 38 provincial AQHI stations is in Niagara Falls, so the city's official reading comes from the St. Catharines station on Argyle Crescent, 15 kilometres northwest. Across the river, the closest monitor is 8.7 kilometres away in Niagara Falls, New York, but it collects air toxics samples rather than hourly readings. The nearest American monitor with hourly PM2.5 is about 18 kilometres southeast, in Tonawanda.
Filterbuy's take: treat the St. Catharines AQHI as a regional signal. If you smell smoke at home, act rather than wait for the index.
What Each AQHI Level Means for Your Day in Niagara Falls
The AQHI sorts readings into four health risk levels, each with advice for people at higher risk and for everyone else. The Canadian Lung Association notes that for people with a chronic lung condition, even a moderate AQHI of 4 can make symptoms worse.
Health advice summarized from Air Quality Ontario and Environment and Climate Change Canada. If Environment Canada issues an air quality alert, start the full plan whatever the current number.
Why the Live Map and the AQHI Show Different Numbers
The map uses a 0 to 500 index set by the highest pollutant, while the AQHI runs from 1 to 10+ and combines the health risk of ozone, PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide. During wildfire smoke, Environment Canada calculates the AQHI from PM2.5 alone, so it reacts faster and is the better guide for health decisions.
Is It Safe to Be Outside at the Falls Today?
Whether it is safe outside depends on the AQHI and your health. People at higher risk include seniors, pregnant people, young children and anyone with a heart or lung condition.
Where to Find Niagara Falls Air Quality Forecasts and Alerts
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issues colour-coded air quality alerts, from yellow to red, when air pollution is expected to rise. Because Niagara Region Public Health does not issue separate advisories, watch these sources:
Air Quality Ontario: current AQHI and forecast maximums, plus a recorded line at 1-800-387-7768.
Environment Canada's St. Catharines AQHI page and the WeatherCAN app, which show active alerts. Forecasts update at 6 a.m. and 5 p.m., and WeatherCAN can notify you when the AQHI reaches a level you choose.
The Niagara Falls Air Quality Calendar
We lined up the official season dates to show when each pollutant matters around the Falls.
Sources: Ontario 2023 air quality report (smog season, ozone share); Canadian Lung Association (wildfire season).
When Wildfire Smoke Reaches the Niagara Peninsula
7 June 2023: Smoke from fires in Quebec and northeastern Ontario settled over the region, and Niagara Parks paused the Falls fireworks while Niagara's public school board cancelled vigorous outdoor activities.
July 2026: Smoke from northwestern Ontario forest fires kept special air quality alerts over Niagara until around 19 July. Follow active plumes on Filterbuy's live Ontario wildfire and smoke map or the live Canada wildfire and smoke map.
Protecting Indoor Air in a Niagara Falls Home
When the St. Catharines AQHI reaches 4, start with the first two steps; at 7, or during an Environment Canada alert, add the other two:
MERV 13 in the furnace. If you are unsure whether your system can handle one, ask an HVAC technician.
Thermostat fan to On. On Auto, the fan runs only while the system heats or cools; On keeps air moving through the filter.
A portable HEPA air cleaner in each occupied room, starting with bedrooms. HEPA belongs in the portable unit, never in the furnace slot.
Close the house up. Keep windows and doors shut. While smoke is in, skip candles and frying, and vacuum only with a HEPA vacuum.
Our view: the fan setting is the most-missed step. Niagara's recent smoke events came in June and July, when furnaces rarely heat, so a fan on Auto moves air through the filter only when heating or cooling runs.
If you have an HRV (heat recovery ventilator), the Canadian Lung Association advises switching any fresh air intake to recirculate or closing its damper, and limiting kitchen and bathroom fans.
Homes without ducts. Portable HEPA air cleaners become your primary defence. Health Canada advises a certified unit whose smoke clean air delivery rate (CADR) filters at least two to three times the room's volume every hour, and warns against ozone generators.
After the Smoke Clears
Fine particles linger indoors after the air outside clears.
Wait for the all-clear. Once the AQHI is low and alerts lift, reopen windows to bring fresh air in, as Health Canada advises.
Reset your ventilation. Return the HRV or fresh air intake to its normal setting.
Check the furnace filter and replace it if smoke has darkened it.
Wet-mop and wipe. Health Canada notes wet mopping keeps settled dust from being stirred up.
Supporting Statistics
590 per cent above baseline
On 7 June 2023, smoke pushed PM2.5 in western New York, including Niagara County, to 590 per cent above its 10-year June baseline. Asthma-related emergency visits in the state outside New York City rose 81.9 per cent that day.
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MMWR
About 50 per cent less indoor PM2.5
A high-efficiency HVAC filter with the fan running continuously may cut indoor PM2.5 by about half.
Source: U.S. EPA, Strategies to Reduce Exposure Indoors
90 per cent of time indoors
Americans spend about 90 per cent of their time indoors, where some pollutants run 2 to 5 times higher than outdoors.
Source: U.S. EPA, Report on the Environment
Plan for Smoke Before the Alert Arrives
"A MERV 13 only helps if the air goes through it. A filter even slightly too small leaves a gap around the frame, and smoke takes the easy path. That is why we carry more than 600 sizes, including custom."
Filterbuy Canada
Filterbuy Canada carries Standard MERV 8, Superior MERV 11 and Optimal MERV 13 furnace filters, including custom sizes, plus an Odour Eliminator carbon filter for lingering smoke smell. Orders ship free to Canada with no minimum, priced in CAD. Subscribe and save, then edit, skip or cancel anytime. Find your furnace filter size at Filterbuy.ca.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the air quality in Niagara Falls today?
Start with the live map above, then check Environment Canada's St. Catharines AQHI, the official hourly reading for Niagara Falls.
Is the air quality bad in Niagara Falls today?
An AQHI of 1 to 3 is low risk. At 4 to 6, people at higher risk should consider reducing strenuous outdoor activity if they have symptoms. At 7 and above, they should reduce or reschedule it, and children and older adults should also take it easy.
What MERV rating do I need for Niagara Falls wildfire smoke?
MERV 13, the minimum Health Canada's cleaner air guidance recommends for removing fine particles from smoke. Confirm your furnace can handle it and keep a spare.
How do I check Niagara Falls PM2.5 today?
Air Quality Ontario publishes hourly PM2.5 readings for the St. Catharines station, the nearest provincial measurement.
How often should I change my furnace filter in Niagara Falls?
Every 60 to 90 days normally. During smoke, check it often and replace it when darkened.
Glossary
Air Quality Health Index (AQHI): Canada's official 1 to 10+ health risk scale for air quality.
Air Quality Index (AQI): The 0 to 500 index on the live map, set by the highest pollutant.
PM2.5: Fine particles 2.5 micrometres or smaller; the main component of wildfire smoke.
HEPA: High-efficiency particulate air filtration, used in portable air cleaners.
MERV: Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, a 1 to 16 filter efficiency rating. Filterbuy labels 8, 11 and 13 Standard, Superior and Optimal.