SmogRank / Episodes / United States

Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee, United States, February 2024

For 1 day, on 26 February 2024, 8 cities in the United States had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was Fairview, Georgia, United States: 33.5 µg/m³ on 26 February, about 4.0× its usual 8.4. Ended 26 February.

No cause namedWe have no fire or smoke records for these days, so we only say what the measurements show.
Cities reached8in 1 country
Days126 February 2024
Worst day26 February8 cities counted
Furthest above usual4.0×Fairview

Day by day

26 February 8 cities at twice their usual or more
Forest ParkAtlantaMcDonoughCandler-McAfeeKennesawLawrencevilleWarner RobinsGadsdenGainesvilleAthensMontgomeryLeedsTrussvilleChattanoogaSandersvilleFairfieldHueytownAthensHuntsvilleDecaturAugustaValdostaGreenvilleColumbiaAshevilleSpartanburgSaint AndrewsSavannahBrunswickDentsvilleMarvinCharlotteJacksonHattiesburgNorth CharlestonMaconAlbanyBirminghamPhenix CityColumbusDouglasEast RidgeFairview
23 Feb242526272829
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

FairviewFairview, 23 February: 5.0 µg/m³Fairview, 24 February: 4.3 µg/m³Fairview, 25 February: 16.7 µg/m³Fairview, 26 February: 33.5 µg/m³, 4.0× its usual 8.4Fairview, 27 February: 13.4 µg/m³Fairview, 28 February: 5.7 µg/m³Fairview, 29 February: 3.1 µg/m³East RidgeEast Ridge, 23 February: 5.0 µg/m³East Ridge, 24 February: 4.3 µg/m³East Ridge, 25 February: 16.7 µg/m³East Ridge, 26 February: 33.5 µg/m³, 3.7× its usual 9.1East Ridge, 27 February: 13.4 µg/m³East Ridge, 28 February: 5.7 µg/m³East Ridge, 29 February: 3.1 µg/m³ColumbusColumbus, 23 February: 6.1 µg/m³Columbus, 24 February: 5.5 µg/m³Columbus, 25 February: 14.4 µg/m³Columbus, 26 February: 31.6 µg/m³, 3.3× its usual 9.6Columbus, 27 February: 9.6 µg/m³Columbus, 28 February: 7.5 µg/m³Columbus, 29 February: 34.4 µg/m³Phenix CityPhenix City, 23 February: 6.1 µg/m³Phenix City, 24 February: 4.7 µg/m³Phenix City, 25 February: 10.6 µg/m³Phenix City, 26 February: 29.3 µg/m³, 3.1× its usual 9.4Phenix City, 27 February: 10.7 µg/m³Phenix City, 28 February: 7.5 µg/m³Phenix City, 29 February: 5.5 µg/m³AlbanyAlbany, 23 February: 8.5 µg/m³Albany, 24 February: 7.6 µg/m³Albany, 25 February: 14.4 µg/m³Albany, 26 February: 27.3 µg/m³, 2.5× its usual 11.0Albany, 27 February: 13.9 µg/m³Albany, 28 February: 10.6 µg/m³Albany, 29 February: 6.9 µg/m³DouglasDouglas, 23 February: 8.8 µg/m³Douglas, 24 February: 6.3 µg/m³Douglas, 25 February: 5.9 µg/m³Douglas, 26 February: 27.0 µg/m³, 3.6× its usual 7.5Douglas, 27 February: 15.9 µg/m³Douglas, 28 February: 10.7 µg/m³Douglas, 29 February: 4.0 µg/m³MaconMacon, 23 February: 8.6 µg/m³Macon, 24 February: 6.9 µg/m³Macon, 25 February: 9.9 µg/m³Macon, 26 February: 26.1 µg/m³, 2.5× its usual 10.4Macon, 27 February: 22.0 µg/m³Macon, 28 February: 9.0 µg/m³Macon, 29 February: 3.5 µg/m³BirminghamBirmingham, 23 February: 6.0 µg/m³Birmingham, 24 February: 7.0 µg/m³Birmingham, 25 February: 18.7 µg/m³Birmingham, 26 February: 25.1 µg/m³, 2.6× its usual 9.6Birmingham, 27 February: 10.9 µg/m³Birmingham, 28 February: 9.3 µg/m³Birmingham, 29 February: 4.0 µg/m³23 Feb242526272829
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
FairviewGeorgia, United States1 33.526 February8.44.0×
East RidgeTennessee, United States1 33.526 February9.13.7×
DouglasGeorgia, United States1 27.026 February7.53.6×
ColumbusGeorgia, United States1 31.626 February9.63.3×
Phenix CityAlabama, United States1 29.326 February9.43.1×
BirminghamAlabama, United States1 25.126 February9.62.6×
AlbanyGeorgia, United States1 27.326 February11.02.5×
MaconGeorgia, United States1 26.126 February10.42.5×

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 150 of 151 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 151.

Use this page

SmogRank, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee, United States, February 2024: 8 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 26 February 2024, smogrank.com/episodes/2024-02-georgia-alabama-and-tennessee-united-states (accessed 5 October 2026).

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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.