SmogRank / Episodes / United States
California, United States, September 2023
For 6 days, from 19 to 24 September 2023, 59 cities in the United States had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was San Jose, California, United States: 47.7 µg/m³ on 20 September, about 6.1× its usual 7.8.
Day by day
How it spread
Every city it reached
| City | Days | Highest | Above usual |
|---|---|---|---|
| PleasantonCalifornia, United States | 4 | 44.920 September | 8.8× |
| GilroyCalifornia, United States | 3 | 42.520 September | 8.5× |
| Santa RosaCalifornia, United States | 3 | 41.420 September | 8.3× |
| ConcordCalifornia, United States | 3 | 39.320 September | 7.9× |
| LivermoreCalifornia, United States | 3 | 43.020 September | 7.4× |
| OaklandCalifornia, United States | 4 | 46.120 September | 7.2× |
| San FranciscoCalifornia, United States | 4 | 43.820 September | 7.1× |
| Redwood CityCalifornia, United States | 4 | 42.320 September | 7.1× |
| HollisterCalifornia, United States | 3 | 41.320 September | 7.1× |
| San RafaelCalifornia, United States | 4 | 35.722 September | 7.1× |
| Santa CruzCalifornia, United States | 3 | 40.120 September | 6.9× |
| San LeandroCalifornia, United States | 4 | 43.020 September | 6.8× |
| GaltCalifornia, United States | 3 | 36.820 September | 6.6× |
| San Luis ObispoCalifornia, United States | 3 | 34.520 September | 6.4× |
| LompocCalifornia, United States | 4 | 32.321 September | 6.3× |
| San JoseCalifornia, United States | 3 | 47.720 September | 6.1× |
| SalinasCalifornia, United States | 5 | 43.620 September | 6.1× |
| FolsomCalifornia, United States | 3 | 31.820 September | 5.9× |
| SacramentoCalifornia, United States | 3 | 34.720 September | 5.8× |
| NipomoCalifornia, United States | 3 | 34.120 September | 5.7× |
| LincolnCalifornia, United States | 3 | 32.420 September | 5.7× |
| AtascaderoCalifornia, United States | 1 | 28.721 September | 5.7× |
| MantecaCalifornia, United States | 3 | 37.920 September | 5.5× |
| TracyCalifornia, United States | 1 | 27.422 September | 5.5× |
| DavisCalifornia, United States | 3 | 29.122 September | 5.4× |
| VacavilleCalifornia, United States | 2 | 26.822 September | 5.4× |
| Arroyo GrandeCalifornia, United States | 3 | 33.720 September | 5.3× |
| RosevilleCalifornia, United States | 2 | 31.820 September | 5.3× |
| StocktonCalifornia, United States | 3 | 37.120 September | 5.2× |
| UkiahCalifornia, United States | 3 | 29.822 September | 5.1× |
| WoodlandCalifornia, United States | 3 | 33.520 September | 4.9× |
| OrcuttCalifornia, United States | 3 | 26.720 September | 4.9× |
| MercedCalifornia, United States | 2 | 32.721 September | 4.7× |
| Arden-ArcadeCalifornia, United States | 2 | 32.220 September | 4.5× |
| Yuba CityCalifornia, United States | 2 | 30.420 September | 4.5× |
| ModestoCalifornia, United States | 3 | 32.222 September | 4.4× |
| RichmondCalifornia, United States | 5 | 40.320 September | 4.2× |
| TurlockCalifornia, United States | 4 | 31.122 September | 3.9× |
| MaderaCalifornia, United States | 3 | 35.021 September | 3.8× |
| ClovisCalifornia, United States | 1 | 33.621 September | 3.5× |
| FresnoCalifornia, United States | 3 | 34.021 September | 3.2× |
| TorranceCalifornia, United States | 3 | 26.924 September | 3.2× |
| Santa BarbaraCalifornia, United States | 1 | 26.322 September | 3.2× |
| Long BeachCalifornia, United States | 1 | 27.322 September | 3.1× |
| InglewoodCalifornia, United States | 1 | 26.324 September | 3.0× |
| ComptonCalifornia, United States | 3 | 28.022 September | 2.9× |
| CarsonCalifornia, United States | 3 | 26.724 September | 2.9× |
| OceansideCalifornia, United States | 1 | 26.423 September | 2.9× |
| HanfordCalifornia, United States | 3 | 30.421 September | 2.8× |
| CorcoranCalifornia, United States | 3 | 27.822 September | 2.8× |
| HawthorneCalifornia, United States | 1 | 26.724 September | 2.8× |
| AnaheimCalifornia, United States | 2 | 26.523 September | 2.7× |
| Santa MonicaCalifornia, United States | 1 | 25.224 September | 2.7× |
| PortervilleCalifornia, United States | 1 | 26.722 September | 2.6× |
| BakersfieldCalifornia, United States | 1 | 27.422 September | 2.5× |
| VisaliaCalifornia, United States | 3 | 26.622 September | 2.5× |
| FontanaCalifornia, United States | 2 | 28.923 September | 2.4× |
| Los AngelesCalifornia, United States | 1 | 26.424 September | 2.3× |
| Jurupa ValleyCalifornia, United States | 1 | 25.724 September | 2.0× |
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 17 of 130 episodes in the United States since our records began, by cities reached.
- Eastern United States and Canada, 25 June to 2 July 2023280
- North-eastern United States and Canada, July 2026264
- Eastern United States and Canada, May and June 2023261
- North-eastern United States and Canada, 30 July to 9 August 2025241
- Eastern United States and Canada, July 2023240
- North-eastern United States and Canada, 3 to 9 June 2025196
- Eastern United States and Canada, 14 to 19 June 2023161
- North-eastern United States and Canada, 12 to 16 July 2025119
- North-western United States and Canada, August 2023110
- North-eastern United States and Canada, 10 to 14 June 2025104
- North-western United States and Canada, 4 to 11 August 202699
- North-eastern United States and Canada, 14 to 19 February 202696
- California, United States, September 202359
Bars: cities reached; colour: the level of the episode's highest daily reading. All 130.
Use this page
SmogRank, California, United States, September 2023: 59 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 19 to 24 September 2023, smogrank.com/episodes/2023-09-california-united-states (accessed 4 October 2026).
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.