SmogRank / Episodes / United States

Alabama and Georgia, United States, February 2026

For 1 day, on 14 February 2026, 9 cities in the United States had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was Columbus, Georgia, United States: 65.6 µg/m³ on 14 February, about 6.4× its usual 10.3.

No cause namedWe have no fire or smoke records for these days, so we only say what the measurements show.
Cities reached9in 1 country
Days114 February 2026
Worst day14 February9 cities counted
Furthest above usual6.4×Albany

Day by day

14 February 9 cities at twice their usual or more
McDonoughAtlantaCandler-McAfeeWarner RobinsGainesvilleAthensGadsdenEast RidgeChattanoogaBirminghamAugustaHuntsvilleGreenvilleValdostaDecaturAshevilleSaint AndrewsColumbiaSavannahBrunswickCharlotteNorth CharlestonFlorenceJacksonHattiesburgMaconSpartanburgBessemerHueytownTrussvilleMontgomeryLawrencevilleAlbanyColumbus
11 Feb121314151617
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

AlbanyAlbany, 11 February: 6.1 µg/m³, 0.6× usualAlbany, 12 February: 19.5 µg/m³, 1.8× usualAlbany, 13 February: 74.4 µg/m³, 7.0× usualAlbany, 14 February: 42.9 µg/m³, 4.0× usualAlbany, 15 February: 5.6 µg/m³, 0.5× usualAlbany, 16 February: 3.4 µg/m³, 0.3× usualAlbany, 17 February: 7.0 µg/m³, 0.7× usualColumbusColumbus, 11 February: 6.7 µg/m³, 0.7× usualColumbus, 12 February: 6.3 µg/m³, 0.6× usualColumbus, 13 February: 23.5 µg/m³, 2.3× usualColumbus, 14 February: 65.6 µg/m³, 6.4× usualColumbus, 15 February: 11.9 µg/m³, 1.2× usualColumbus, 16 February: 4.4 µg/m³, 0.4× usualColumbus, 17 February: 9.0 µg/m³, 0.9× usualLawrencevilleLawrenceville, 11 February: 11.2 µg/m³, 1.4× usualLawrenceville, 12 February: 5.0 µg/m³, 0.6× usualLawrenceville, 13 February: 8.2 µg/m³, 1.0× usualLawrenceville, 14 February: 32.7 µg/m³, 4.0× usualLawrenceville, 15 February: 14.0 µg/m³, 1.7× usualLawrenceville, 16 February: 5.8 µg/m³, 0.7× usualLawrenceville, 17 February: 10.0 µg/m³, 1.2× usualMontgomeryMontgomery, 11 February: 1.2 µg/m³, 0.1× usualMontgomery, 12 February: no readingMontgomery, 13 February: 12.9 µg/m³, 1.5× usualMontgomery, 14 February: 32.1 µg/m³, 3.8× usualMontgomery, 15 February: 15.7 µg/m³, 1.9× usualMontgomery, 16 February: 4.0 µg/m³, 0.5× usualMontgomery, 17 February: 7.0 µg/m³, 0.8× usualTrussvilleTrussville, 11 February: 7.7 µg/m³, 0.9× usualTrussville, 12 February: 9.1 µg/m³, 1.1× usualTrussville, 13 February: 5.0 µg/m³, 0.6× usualTrussville, 14 February: 29.9 µg/m³, 3.6× usualTrussville, 15 February: 14.6 µg/m³, 1.8× usualTrussville, 16 February: 6.3 µg/m³, 0.8× usualTrussville, 17 February: 9.4 µg/m³, 1.1× usualBessemerBessemer, 11 February: 7.4 µg/m³, 0.8× usualBessemer, 12 February: 7.8 µg/m³, 0.9× usualBessemer, 13 February: 7.1 µg/m³, 0.8× usualBessemer, 14 February: 27.4 µg/m³, 3.0× usualBessemer, 15 February: 12.0 µg/m³, 1.3× usualBessemer, 16 February: 7.4 µg/m³, 0.8× usualBessemer, 17 February: 13.9 µg/m³, 1.5× usualHueytownHueytown, 11 February: 8.2 µg/m³, 1.1× usualHueytown, 12 February: 6.3 µg/m³, 0.8× usualHueytown, 13 February: 5.6 µg/m³, 0.7× usualHueytown, 14 February: 25.8 µg/m³, 3.4× usualHueytown, 15 February: 10.2 µg/m³, 1.3× usualHueytown, 16 February: 7.2 µg/m³, 0.9× usualHueytown, 17 February: 11.7 µg/m³, 1.5× usualMaconMacon, 11 February: 8.0 µg/m³, 0.8× usualMacon, 12 February: 8.1 µg/m³, 0.9× usualMacon, 13 February: 14.4 µg/m³, 1.5× usualMacon, 14 February: 25.4 µg/m³, 2.7× usualMacon, 15 February: 9.4 µg/m³, 1.0× usualMacon, 16 February: 4.5 µg/m³, 0.5× usualMacon, 17 February: 11.8 µg/m³, 1.2× usualSpartanburgSpartanburg, 11 February: 8.3 µg/m³, 0.9× usualSpartanburg, 12 February: 4.6 µg/m³, 0.5× usualSpartanburg, 13 February: 5.9 µg/m³, 0.6× usualSpartanburg, 14 February: 25.2 µg/m³, 2.8× usualSpartanburg, 15 February: 12.7 µg/m³, 1.4× usualSpartanburg, 16 February: 4.5 µg/m³, 0.5× usualSpartanburg, 17 February: 9.0 µg/m³, 1.0× usual11 Feb121314151617
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
AlbanyGeorgia, United States1 74.413 February10.67.0×
ColumbusGeorgia, United States1 65.614 February10.36.4×
LawrencevilleGeorgia, United States1 32.714 February8.14.0×
MontgomeryAlabama, United States1 32.114 February8.43.8×
TrussvilleAlabama, United States1 29.914 February8.33.6×
HueytownAlabama, United States1 25.814 February7.73.4×
BessemerAlabama, United States1 27.414 February9.13.0×
SpartanburgSouth Carolina, United States1 25.214 February9.12.8×
MaconGeorgia, United States1 25.414 February9.52.7×

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

Number 73 of 98 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 98.

Use this page

SmogRank, Alabama and Georgia, United States, February 2026: 9 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 14 February 2026, smogrank.com/episodes/2026-02-alabama-and-georgia-united-states (accessed 2 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.