SmogRank / Episodes / United States
Western United States, September 2023
For 6 days, from 19 to 24 September 2023, 61 cities in the United States and Mexico 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 | 7.5× |
| OaklandCalifornia, United States | 4 | 46.120 September | 7.2× |
| San RafaelCalifornia, United States | 4 | 35.722 September | 7.1× |
| HollisterCalifornia, United States | 3 | 41.320 September | 7.1× |
| Redwood CityCalifornia, United States | 4 | 42.320 September | 7.1× |
| Santa CruzCalifornia, United States | 3 | 40.120 September | 6.9× |
| San FranciscoCalifornia, United States | 4 | 43.820 September | 6.8× |
| 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 | 6.2× |
| SalinasCalifornia, United States | 5 | 43.620 September | 6.1× |
| San JoseCalifornia, United States | 3 | 47.720 September | 6.1× |
| FolsomCalifornia, United States | 3 | 31.820 September | 5.9× |
| SacramentoCalifornia, United States | 3 | 34.720 September | 5.8× |
| AtascaderoCalifornia, United States | 1 | 28.721 September | 5.7× |
| LincolnCalifornia, United States | 3 | 32.420 September | 5.7× |
| NipomoCalifornia, United States | 3 | 34.120 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× |
| OrcuttCalifornia, United States | 3 | 26.720 September | 4.9× |
| WoodlandCalifornia, United States | 3 | 33.520 September | 4.9× |
| MercedCalifornia, United States | 2 | 32.721 September | 4.7× |
| Yuba CityCalifornia, United States | 2 | 30.420 September | 4.5× |
| Arden-ArcadeCalifornia, United States | 2 | 32.220 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× |
| Santa BarbaraCalifornia, United States | 1 | 26.322 September | 3.2× |
| FresnoCalifornia, United States | 3 | 34.021 September | 3.2× |
| TorranceCalifornia, United States | 3 | 26.924 September | 3.2× |
| Long BeachCalifornia, United States | 1 | 27.322 September | 3.1× |
| MexicaliBaja California, Mexico | 3 | 42.916 September | 3.0× |
| InglewoodCalifornia, United States | 1 | 26.324 September | 3.0× |
| OceansideCalifornia, United States | 1 | 26.423 September | 2.9× |
| CarsonCalifornia, United States | 3 | 26.724 September | 2.9× |
| CorcoranCalifornia, United States | 3 | 27.822 September | 2.9× |
| ComptonCalifornia, United States | 3 | 28.022 September | 2.9× |
| HanfordCalifornia, United States | 3 | 30.421 September | 2.8× |
| HawthorneCalifornia, United States | 1 | 26.724 September | 2.8× |
| Santa MonicaCalifornia, United States | 1 | 25.224 September | 2.8× |
| AnaheimCalifornia, United States | 2 | 26.523 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× |
| TijuanaBaja California, Mexico | 1 | 29.327 September | 2.1× |
| Jurupa ValleyCalifornia, United States | 1 | 25.724 September | 2.1× |
Daily means in µg/m³. Usual: the city's median for this time of year (its days within 21 days of the date, every year, leaving out the week around it). Above usual: its highest day against that.
Against other episodes in the United States and Mexico
Number 7 of 45 episodes in the United States and Mexico since our records began, by cities reached.
- North-eastern United States and Canada, June and July 2023279
- North-eastern United States and Canada, May and June 2023260
- North-eastern United States and Canada, July 2023241
- North-eastern United States and Canada, June 2023161
- North-western United States and Canada, August 2023110
- North-eastern United States and Canada, July 202375
- Western United States, September 202361
- South-eastern United States, October 202347
- North-eastern United States, July 202346
- North-western United States and Canada, May 202342
- Western United States, December 202332
- Northern United States, January 202332
Bars: cities reached; colour: the level of the episode's highest daily reading. All 45.
Use this page
SmogRank, Western United States, September 2023: 61 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 19 to 24 September 2023, smogrank.com/episodes/2023-09-western-united-states (accessed 2 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.