Boise air quality, for kids
Checking the current reading…
We keep it short for kids above 101 and say stay inside above 151. Those cutoffs are explained below.
The two numbers we use
Most air quality tools are written for healthy adults. These are the cutoffs this site uses for children, and they are deliberately stricter.
101+
Keep it short
The EPA calls this "unhealthy for sensitive groups." Children are a sensitive group, so we treat it as a real warning rather than a footnote. A quick trip to a close park is fine; an afternoon of hard running is not.
151+
Stay inside
Above this the homepage stops recommending parks altogether and says so. Windows closed, and save the outing for a clearer day.
Why stricter for kids
- · Kids breathe more air relative to their body weight than adults, so the same air delivers a bigger dose.
- · Their lungs and airways are still developing.
- · They spend more time outdoors, and they run while they are out there.
- · They are less likely to notice or mention early symptoms like a scratchy throat.
What each AQI number means for a kid
| US AQI | EPA label | For kids | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–50 | Good | Good | Normal outdoor play. No limits. |
| 51–100 | Moderate | Usually fine | Fine for most kids. If yours has asthma, watch for coughing on hard exertion. |
| 101–150 | Unhealthy for sensitive groups | Too high for kids | Keep it short and close to home. Skip the hard running, take breaks, and choose a park you can leave quickly. |
| 151–200 | Unhealthy | Too high for anyone | Stay inside with the windows closed. Reschedule the park. |
| 201–300 | Very unhealthy | Too high for anyone | Stay inside. Run a filter if you have one, and keep car windows up. |
| 301+ | Hazardous | Emergency conditions | Stay inside. Avoid all outdoor exertion. |
On a smoky day
- · Mornings are usually better. Smoke often settles overnight and lifts through the afternoon, though a nearby fire can break that pattern entirely.
- · Indoors beats a shorter outdoor trip. The library, a rec center or an indoor play space all beat a rushed park visit at 151+.
- · Cloth and surgical masks do not filter smoke. Only a well-fitted N95 or KN95 does, and they are not made for small children. Don't rely on a mask to make a bad-air day into a park day.
- · Keep car windows up and set the vents to recirculate on the drive.
- · Watch for coughing, wheezing, chest tightness or unusual tiredness. Those mean go inside now, whatever the number says.
Boise has two bad-air seasons
Wildfire smoke, roughly July–September
Smoke from regional fires, often hundreds of miles away, settles into the valley. This is the season that pushes the AQI past 151, and it can change within a few hours.
Winter inversion, roughly December–February
Cold air traps particulates near the valley floor for days at a time. It rarely spikes as high as wildfire smoke, but it lingers, and the same cutoffs apply.
Where this number comes from
The reading above is the US AQI from Open-Meteo's air quality API, fetched in your browser for central Boise (or your location, if you allow it on the homepage) and cached for 15 minutes. The bands are the EPA's standard US AQI categories; the "for kids" column and the 101/151 cutoffs are ours.
Any single reading is modelled for a point on a map, not measured on your street, and smoke is patchy. For an official measurement, or before a long outing, cross-check:
When the air is clear again
The homepage ranks every Boise park against the live weather, the air quality and the time of day, and tells you where to go right now. On a hot, clear day the shadiest parks and the splash pads are the two lists worth having.
Where should we go right now? →Common questions
Is it safe for kids to play outside in Boise smoke today?
Check the live AQI at the top of this page. Below 101 normal play is fine for most kids. Between 101 and 150 keep it short, close to home, and low-effort, because children count as a sensitive group. At 151 and above, keep them inside with the windows closed.
What AQI is too high for kids?
We use 101 as the point to shorten a visit and 151 as the point to stay inside. Both are stricter than the "unhealthy for everyone" line adults often go by, because kids breathe more air per pound of body weight, their lungs are still developing, and they exert themselves harder outdoors.
What does "unhealthy for sensitive groups" mean for a child?
It means them. The EPA sensitive-groups category covers children, older adults, and people with asthma or heart and lung conditions. A number in that band is fine for a healthy adult on a walk and is not fine for a kid running around a playground for an hour.
Where can I check Boise air quality right now?
The reading at the top of this page is the live US AQI for central Boise. For the official monitor data, AirNow's Boise page and the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map are the authoritative sources, and Idaho DEQ posts state advisories.
Do masks help kids on smoky days?
Cloth and surgical masks do not filter fine smoke particles. Only a well-fitted N95 or KN95 does, and those are sized for adults, so a good seal on a small child is unlikely. Treat masks as a backup for unavoidable time outside, not as a way to turn a bad-air day into a park day.
Is Boise winter inversion as bad as wildfire smoke?
It usually peaks lower than heavy wildfire smoke, but it lasts longer, sometimes sitting over the valley for days. The same cutoffs apply: it is the AQI number that matters, not the reason the air is bad.