Is the air quality in Little Rock bad today?

The latest hourly PM2.5 reading near Little Rock is 6 µg/m³, measured at Oct 14, 9:00PM. This page updates twice an hour. The NowCast smoke average is currently Good on the US EPA scale.

Will there be wildfire smoke in Little Rock over the next 48 hours?

Forecasts show smoke increasing, peaking near 16 µg/m³ within the next 48 hours.

Little Rock, Arkansas — Wildfire Smoke Forecast

Live PM_2.5 and 48-hour smoke-model outlook — updated Oct 14, 10:09PM CDT

Current air quality and forecast

Now · observedGood 6 µg/m³ NowCast median across 2 monitors in Pulaski · range 5–7, highest at Adeq-Dsr

Next 48 hoursModerate 2–16 µg/m³ · 3 models

Forecast peak16 µg/m³Oct 16, 12:00AM · FireWork

No significant smoke is expected in the next 48 hours.

Air quality is good — ideal for outdoor activities.

Last 24 hours across Pulaski & next 48 hours forecast

range across monitors

Background bands (US EPA AQI, 24-h basis): ■ Good · ■ Moderate

Forecast

Next 6 hours

0–10 µg/m³

Peak around Oct 15, 2:00AM

Next 12 hours

1–11 µg/m³

Peak around Oct 15, 9:00AM

Next 24 hours

2–16 µg/m³

Peak around Oct 15, 9:00PM

Next 48 hours

2–16 µg/m³

Peak around Oct 16, 12:00AM

Next 24 hours — model comparison 3 models · 24-hour peak table

Model	Peak PM2.5	Peak around
HRRR-Smoke (NOAA, 3 km)	2 µg/m³	Oct 15, 3:00PM
FireWork (ECCC)	16 µg/m³	Oct 15, 9:00PM
FireSmoke (UBC BlueSky)	8 µg/m³	Oct 15, 7:00AM

Model values are for the nearest forecast grid cell to Little Rock; FireSmoke, FireWork and HRRR are independent and often disagree — treat the highest available value as the cautious planning number.

Observations and NowCast are total PM_2.5 — wildfire smoke plus every other source — as regulatory monitors measure it, and FireWork models that same total. FireSmoke and HRRR-Smoke estimate the wildfire contribution only, so they read lower than the monitors whenever other sources matter. The optional map plume surfaces are likewise fires-only.

Sky vs. ground

Little smoke at the surface or overhead.

Sky right now

Partly cloudy — no smoke

● At the ground · ● Overhead (if mixed down)

Overhead smoke dims the sun but is not what you breathe. The dashed line shows the surface level if the whole column mixed through the boundary layer — a worst case, not a forecast · Data: NOAA HRRR-Smoke; cloud cover is from the model, not observed

Nearby fires

100 mi radius

Within 100 mi, agencies report 1 Mostly contained (70%+) · 1 Other.

Not contained0 fires

No not contained fires are reported in this state.

Partially contained0 fires

No partially contained fires are reported in this state.

Mostly contained (70%+)1 fire

Bunker Fire

83 mi away · 2,851 acres · 95% contained · reported 2026-10-02 · AR

distance measured to the incident point

Mostly contained (70%+)

Other status1 fire

Monroe 296

70 mi away · 16 acres · reported 2026-10-12 · AR

distance measured to the incident point

Containment not reported

Proximity and wind direction do not prove that a fire caused smoke at this location. Source: National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC); incident points and containment as reported by the responsible agencies.

Forecast track record here

29-day record · 2 nearby monitors

Model	Typical error	Tendency
FireWork	4.8 µg/m³	no clear bias
FireSmoke	9.3 µg/m³	reads low 8.4
HRRR-Smoke	10.4 µg/m³	reads low 10.4

Mean absolute error and average tendency in µg/m³, from forecasts verified 0–6 hours ahead at monitors within 50 km. A short-range record, not a measure of how far ahead a model stays reliable. FireSmoke and HRRR model wildfire smoke only, so they read below the monitors whenever other sources of PM2.5 matter.

Monitors in Pulaski

Adeq-Dsr7 µg/m³ NowCast5.0 mi · Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality Parr5 µg/m³ NowCast0.8 mi · Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality

See the Arkansas-wide forecast — every monitor, ranked →