Orlando, Florida — Wildfire Smoke Forecast

Live PM2.5 and 48-hour smoke-model outlook — updated Aug 06, 12:44PM EDT

Current air quality

4 µg/m³ measured at I-4 Near-Road, 1 km away, at Aug 06, 12:00PM. The NowCast smoke average is 5 µg/m³ — Good on the US EPA scale.

Air quality is good — ideal for outdoor activities.

Forecasts show smoke increasing, peaking near 12 µg/m³ within the next 48 hours.

No significant smoke is expected in the next 48 hours.

Last 24 hours observed & next 48 hours forecast

20100now-24 h+24 h+48 hµg/m³

Observed · FireWork · HRRR

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

Next 24 hours — model comparison

Next 6 hours
8 µg/m³
Peak around Aug 06, 4:00PM
Next 12 hours
8 µg/m³
Peak around Aug 07, 1:00AM
Next 24 hours
12 µg/m³
Peak around Aug 07, 9:00AM
Next 48 hours
12 µg/m³
Peak around Aug 07, 9:00AM
ModelPeak PM2.5Peak around
HRRR-Smoke (NOAA, 3 km)0 µg/m³Aug 07, 5:00AM
FireWork (ECCC)12 µg/m³Aug 07, 9:00AM

Model values are for the ~10 km grid cell nearest Orlando; the two models are independent and often disagree — treat the higher value as the cautious planning number.

Observations and NowCast are total PM2.5 — wildfire smoke plus every other source — as regulatory monitors measure it, and FireWork models that same total. FireSmoke is a smoke-dispersion model: it estimates the wildfire contribution only, so it reads lower than the monitors whenever other sources matter. The map's optional plume layer is likewise fires-only.

Sky vs. ground

Little smoke at the surface or overhead.

Sky right now
Clear sky

At the ground · Overhead (if mixed down)

010202:00PM8:00PM2:00AMµg/m³

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

Forecast track record here

1-day record · 5 nearby monitors

ModelTypical errorTendency
FireWork5.0 µg/m³reads high 4.7
HRRR-Smoke5.8 µg/m³reads low 5.8

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.

Nearest monitoring stations

Open the live chart for I-4 Near-Road — hourly observations, NowCast and both model forecasts.