SmogRank / Episodes / United States

Texas and Oklahoma, United States, February 2023

For 2 days, from 26 to 27 February 2023, 14 cities in the United States had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was Lubbock, Texas, United States: 69.3 µg/m³ on 26 February, about 14× its usual 3.6.

No cause namedWe have no fire or smoke records for these days, so we only say what the measurements show.
Cities reached14in 1 country
Days226 to 27 February 2023
Worst day27 February9 cities counted
Furthest above usual14×Lubbock

Day by day

27 February 9 cities at twice their usual or more
BeltonAustinCollege StationLive OakOdessaMissouri CityLa PorteHobbsHoustonBaytownPasadenaDeer ParkConroeMission BendOklahoma CityEdmondSaginawFort WorthLawtonDallasAmarilloLubbock
23 Feb24252627281 Mar2
Every measured city in the area, coloured by its PM2.5 that day; a dark ring marks a city at twice its usual or more. Bars: cities counted each day, coloured by their median level. Choose a day or press play; without JavaScript, the days link to that day's world ranking.

How it spread

LubbockLubbock, 23 February: 2.6 µg/m³Lubbock, 24 February: 4.6 µg/m³Lubbock, 25 February: 5.8 µg/m³Lubbock, 26 February: 69.3 µg/m³, 14× its usual 3.6Lubbock, 27 February: 27.7 µg/m³Lubbock, 28 February: 14.2 µg/m³Lubbock, 1 March: 2.0 µg/m³Lubbock, 2 March: 3.6 µg/m³AmarilloAmarillo, 23 February: 3.3 µg/m³Amarillo, 24 February: 5.0 µg/m³Amarillo, 25 February: 10.4 µg/m³Amarillo, 26 February: 36.0 µg/m³, 7.2× its usual 4.4Amarillo, 27 February: 4.2 µg/m³Amarillo, 28 February: 3.8 µg/m³Amarillo, 1 March: 4.2 µg/m³Amarillo, 2 March: 5.8 µg/m³LawtonLawton, 23 February: 5.5 µg/m³Lawton, 24 February: 8.7 µg/m³Lawton, 25 February: 19.4 µg/m³Lawton, 26 February: 34.0 µg/m³, 5.8× its usual 5.9Lawton, 27 February: 11.3 µg/m³Lawton, 28 February: 6.9 µg/m³Lawton, 1 March: 5.5 µg/m³Lawton, 2 March: 13.7 µg/m³Oklahoma CityOklahoma City, 23 February: 5.5 µg/m³Oklahoma City, 24 February: 9.8 µg/m³Oklahoma City, 25 February: 21.1 µg/m³Oklahoma City, 26 February: 28.0 µg/m³, 3.6× its usual 7.8Oklahoma City, 27 February: 12.9 µg/m³Oklahoma City, 28 February: 5.7 µg/m³Oklahoma City, 1 March: 10.5 µg/m³Oklahoma City, 2 March: 13.2 µg/m³SaginawSaginaw, 23 February: 3.9 µg/m³Saginaw, 24 February: 5.3 µg/m³Saginaw, 25 February: 13.8 µg/m³Saginaw, 26 February: 26.2 µg/m³, 3.6× its usual 7.2Saginaw, 27 February: 32.9 µg/m³, 4.6× its usual 7.1Saginaw, 28 February: 5.1 µg/m³Saginaw, 1 March: 11.7 µg/m³Saginaw, 2 March: 14.9 µg/m³EdmondEdmond, 23 February: 5.5 µg/m³Edmond, 24 February: 8.8 µg/m³Edmond, 25 February: 17.5 µg/m³Edmond, 26 February: 26.2 µg/m³, 3.8× its usual 6.9Edmond, 27 February: 13.3 µg/m³Edmond, 28 February: 5.3 µg/m³Edmond, 1 March: 8.1 µg/m³Edmond, 2 March: no readingFort WorthFort Worth, 23 February: 6.6 µg/m³Fort Worth, 24 February: 6.6 µg/m³Fort Worth, 25 February: 15.6 µg/m³Fort Worth, 26 February: 25.2 µg/m³, 3.3× its usual 7.6Fort Worth, 27 February: 40.4 µg/m³, 5.4× its usual 7.5Fort Worth, 28 February: 6.5 µg/m³Fort Worth, 1 March: 13.5 µg/m³Fort Worth, 2 March: 16.9 µg/m³DallasDallas, 23 February: 5.1 µg/m³Dallas, 24 February: 6.3 µg/m³Dallas, 25 February: 14.6 µg/m³Dallas, 26 February: 18.1 µg/m³Dallas, 27 February: 44.6 µg/m³, 6.2× its usual 7.2Dallas, 28 February: 6.7 µg/m³Dallas, 1 March: 10.7 µg/m³Dallas, 2 March: 13.1 µg/m³ConroeConroe, 23 February: 22.9 µg/m³Conroe, 24 February: 12.0 µg/m³Conroe, 25 February: 15.4 µg/m³Conroe, 26 February: 12.1 µg/m³Conroe, 27 February: 29.5 µg/m³, 3.3× its usual 9.0Conroe, 28 February: 15.8 µg/m³Conroe, 1 March: 13.2 µg/m³Conroe, 2 March: 17.0 µg/m³BaytownBaytown, 23 February: 18.0 µg/m³Baytown, 24 February: 12.3 µg/m³Baytown, 25 February: 13.3 µg/m³Baytown, 26 February: 13.6 µg/m³Baytown, 27 February: 28.9 µg/m³, 2.9× its usual 9.8Baytown, 28 February: 17.3 µg/m³Baytown, 1 March: 16.3 µg/m³Baytown, 2 March: 17.7 µg/m³PasadenaPasadena, 23 February: 18.3 µg/m³Pasadena, 24 February: 12.8 µg/m³Pasadena, 25 February: 15.4 µg/m³Pasadena, 26 February: 11.7 µg/m³Pasadena, 27 February: 28.5 µg/m³, 3.1× its usual 9.1Pasadena, 28 February: 17.2 µg/m³Pasadena, 1 March: 13.6 µg/m³Pasadena, 2 March: 15.8 µg/m³HoustonHouston, 23 February: 20.4 µg/m³Houston, 24 February: 16.0 µg/m³Houston, 25 February: 17.0 µg/m³Houston, 26 February: 13.4 µg/m³Houston, 27 February: 28.5 µg/m³, 2.7× its usual 10.4Houston, 28 February: 20.0 µg/m³Houston, 1 March: 15.6 µg/m³Houston, 2 March: 17.8 µg/m³Mission BendMission Bend, 23 February: 20.1 µg/m³Mission Bend, 24 February: 11.9 µg/m³Mission Bend, 25 February: 15.7 µg/m³Mission Bend, 26 February: 13.2 µg/m³Mission Bend, 27 February: 27.8 µg/m³, 3.5× its usual 7.9Mission Bend, 28 February: 17.1 µg/m³Mission Bend, 1 March: 14.2 µg/m³Mission Bend, 2 March: 17.7 µg/m³Deer ParkDeer Park, 23 February: 16.6 µg/m³Deer Park, 24 February: 10.9 µg/m³Deer Park, 25 February: 11.1 µg/m³Deer Park, 26 February: 11.4 µg/m³Deer Park, 27 February: 27.7 µg/m³, 3.2× its usual 8.7Deer Park, 28 February: 14.6 µg/m³Deer Park, 1 March: 13.0 µg/m³Deer Park, 2 March: 12.5 µg/m³23 Feb24252627281 Mar2
Every counted city, in the order the episode reached them, 3 days before to 3 after. Each square is a day, coloured by that day's PM2.5; outlined: at twice the city's usual or more.
Good0–50
Moderate51–100
Sensitive groups101–150
Unhealthy151–200
Very unhealthy201–300
Hazardous301+

Every city it reached

CityDaysHighestUsualAbove usual
LubbockTexas, United States1 69.326 February3.614×
AmarilloTexas, United States1 36.026 February4.47.2×
DallasTexas, United States1 44.627 February7.26.2×
LawtonOklahoma, United States1 34.026 February5.95.8×
Fort WorthTexas, United States2 40.427 February7.55.4×
SaginawTexas, United States2 32.927 February7.14.6×
EdmondOklahoma, United States1 26.226 February6.93.8×
Oklahoma CityOklahoma, United States1 28.026 February7.83.6×
Mission BendTexas, United States1 27.827 February7.93.5×
ConroeTexas, United States1 29.527 February9.03.3×
Deer ParkTexas, United States1 27.727 February8.73.2×
PasadenaTexas, United States1 28.527 February9.13.1×
BaytownTexas, United States1 28.927 February9.82.9×
HoustonTexas, United States1 28.527 February10.42.7×

Daily means in µg/m³, over the days each city counted in this episode. Highest: its highest of those days. Usual: the city's median for the time of year of that day (its days within 21 days of the date, every year, leaving out the week around it). Above usual: its highest day against that, with a usual under 5 µg/m³ taken as 5.

Against other episodes in the United States

Number 74 of 130 episodes in the United States since our records began, by cities reached.

Bars: cities reached; colour: the level of the episode's highest daily reading. All 130.

Use this page

SmogRank, Texas and Oklahoma, United States, February 2023: 14 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 26 to 27 February 2023, smogrank.com/episodes/2023-02-texas-and-oklahoma-united-states (accessed 4 October 2026).

Download top 10 (PNG)

You're welcome to reuse a single chart, image or figure with this citation and a link. Terms.

An episode is a run of days when many cities close to each other (four or more within 350 km on a day, 8 or more in all) each had a daily PM2.5 mean of at least 25 µg/m³ and at least 2 times their usual for that time of year. Found in our own measurements, not picked by hand. How we find episodes. Values are each city's daily mean of its own monitors; causes are the usual kinds for a pattern like this, not a confirmed source.