ToClearSkies

Winston-Salem · Live readout · Observed Jul 21, 2:00 p.m. EDT

Good air — normal outdoor plans

Winston-Salem is breathing 2.2 cigarettes a week

Nothing cleaner nearby How we count it →

A good everyday baseline, though zero particle risk does not exist.

6.9
PM2.5 µg/m³
38
US AQI
Good
Category
5.2
Cleanest in reach · µg/m³
Look farther for cleaner air

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The better move within a 3-hour drive

Dates

Dates follow you into hotel searches. Live inventory is confirmed by the provider.

You may already have the cleanest nearby air.No meaningfully cleaner place has a verified road route within 3 hours. Widen the range or show worse air for context.

Your escape map is waking up. Every town is also in the ranked list.
Winston-Salem Low smoke · AQI 0–50 Some pollution · AQI 51–100 Unhealthy (sensitive) · AQI 101–150 Unhealthy+ · AQI 151+
Top pick
Durham
Cel-shaded illustration of Durham
#1DurhamLow smoke · AQI 29~1 h 40 min drivesaves 0.5 cigs/wk

North Carolina· PM2.5 5.2 µg/m³

A major North Carolina city with broad lodging options and live air-quality readings for comparison when smoke shifts across the region.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 5.2 µg/m³ here vs 6.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 5.2/22 × 7 = 1.7 here; 6.9/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
25% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 21, 2:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Greensboro
Cel-shaded illustration of Greensboro
#2GreensboroLow smoke · AQI 31~35 min drivesaves 0.4 cigs/wk

North Carolina· PM2.5 5.5 µg/m³

A major North Carolina city with broad lodging options and live air-quality readings for comparison when smoke shifts across the region.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 5.5 µg/m³ here vs 6.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 5.5/22 × 7 = 1.8 here; 6.9/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
20% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 21, 2:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Charlotte
Cel-shaded illustration of Charlotte
#3CharlotteLow smoke · AQI 40~1 h 30 min drive

North Carolina· PM2.5 7.2 µg/m³

A major North Carolina city with broad lodging options and live air-quality readings for comparison when smoke shifts across the region.

Worse air than home. Don't bother.

PM2.5 is 7.2 µg/m³ here vs 6.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 7.2/22 × 7 = 2.3 here; 6.9/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
4% worse airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 21, 2:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Wallburg
Cel-shaded illustration of Wallburg
#4WallburgParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 2.2 cigs/wk

North Carolina

North Carolina community with a cached air reading available when it appears in a nearby escape search.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Clemmons
Cel-shaded illustration of Clemmons
#5ClemmonsParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 2.2 cigs/wk

North Carolina

North Carolina community with a cached air reading available when it appears in a nearby escape search.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Kernersville
Cel-shaded illustration of Kernersville
#6KernersvilleParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 2.2 cigs/wk

North Carolina

North Carolina community with a cached air reading available when it appears in a nearby escape search.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Lewisville
Cel-shaded illustration of Lewisville
#7LewisvilleParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 2.2 cigs/wk

North Carolina

North Carolina community with a cached air reading available when it appears in a nearby escape search.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Rural Hall
Cel-shaded illustration of Rural Hall
#8Rural HallParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 2.2 cigs/wk

North Carolina

North Carolina community with a cached air reading available when it appears in a nearby escape search.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Midway
Cel-shaded illustration of Midway
#9MidwayParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 2.2 cigs/wk

North Carolina

North Carolina community with a cached air reading available when it appears in a nearby escape search.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Tobaccoville
Cel-shaded illustration of Tobaccoville
#10TobaccovilleParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 2.2 cigs/wk

North Carolina

North Carolina community with a cached air reading available when it appears in a nearby escape search.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Bermuda Run
Cel-shaded illustration of Bermuda Run
#11Bermuda RunParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 2.2 cigs/wk

North Carolina

North Carolina community with a cached air reading available when it appears in a nearby escape search.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Welcome
Cel-shaded illustration of Welcome
#12WelcomeParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 2.2 cigs/wk

North Carolina

North Carolina community with a cached air reading available when it appears in a nearby escape search.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Raleigh
Cel-shaded illustration of Raleigh
#13RaleighLow smoke · AQI 37~2 h 5 min drive

North Carolina· PM2.5 6.7 µg/m³

A major North Carolina city with broad lodging options and live air-quality readings for comparison when smoke shifts across the region.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 6.7 µg/m³ here vs 6.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 6.7/22 × 7 = 2.1 here; 6.9/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
3% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 21, 2:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Asheville
Cel-shaded illustration of Asheville
#14AshevilleLow smoke · AQI 37~2 h 50 min drive

North Carolina· PM2.5 6.7 µg/m³

Blue Ridge mountain city with extensive lodging and higher-elevation air west of Charlotte.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 6.7 µg/m³ here vs 6.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 6.7/22 × 7 = 2.1 here; 6.9/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
3% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 21, 2:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
South Gastonia
Cel-shaded illustration of South Gastonia
#15South GastoniaParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 2.2 cigs/wk

North Carolina

North Carolina community with a cached air reading available when it appears in a nearby escape search.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Morrisville
Cel-shaded illustration of Morrisville
#16MorrisvilleParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 2.2 cigs/wk

North Carolina

North Carolina community with a cached air reading available when it appears in a nearby escape search.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Lake Wylie
Cel-shaded illustration of Lake Wylie
#17Lake WylieParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 2.2 cigs/wk

South Carolina

South Carolina community with a cached air reading available when it appears in a nearby escape search.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Akron
Cel-shaded illustration of Akron
#18AkronLow smoke · AQI 32Checking road routesaves 0.4 cigs/wk

Ohio· PM2.5 5.7 µg/m³

A major Ohio city with broad lodging options and live air-quality readings for comparison when smoke shifts across the region.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 5.7 µg/m³ here vs 6.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 5.7/22 × 7 = 1.8 here; 6.9/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
17% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 21, 2:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Columbus
Cel-shaded illustration of Columbus
#19ColumbusLow smoke · AQI 32~7 h 20 min drivesaves 0.4 cigs/wk

Ohio· PM2.5 5.8 µg/m³

A major Ohio city with broad lodging options and live air-quality readings for comparison when smoke shifts across the region.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 5.8 µg/m³ here vs 6.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 5.8/22 × 7 = 1.8 here; 6.9/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
16% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 21, 2:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Cherokee
Cel-shaded illustration of Cherokee
#20CherokeeLow smoke · AQI 33Checking road route

North Carolina· PM2.5 5.9 µg/m³

Smoky Mountains gateway town on the Qualla Boundary, with a broad lodging base and cool ridge air.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 5.9 µg/m³ here vs 6.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 5.9/22 × 7 = 1.9 here; 6.9/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
14% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 21, 2:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Bad week ahead? Check the 7-day outlook — if it won’t clear, book the trip

7-day outlook

Plan the next seven days

Pick a day, or compare the whole week. Weather is forecast; air quality is the latest available reading.

Loading the week…

Finding the nicest days and reachable cities.

Observed Jul 21, 2:00 p.m. EDTReadings from Jul 21, 2:00 p.m. EDT — refreshing…

Why live rankings? Smoke plumes are patchy and shift with the wind, so no direction is reliably cleaner. This list is recalculated from live PM2.5 every hour — and if everything nearby is smoky, it says so.

How we work this out →

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What this means · Winston-Salem

Phew.

2.2cigarettes

per week, if this air holds

Act two · The scale

Where today lands

From a crisp horizon to smoke you can taste — here’s your reading on it.

6.9 µg/m³
CrispSome smokeHeavy smoke

Act three · The ladder

What each rung feels like

  • 0–3µg/m³Natural air. About as clean as outdoor air realistically gets.
  • 3–5µg/m³Exceptionally clean. Crisp, destination-worthy air.
  • 5–9µg/m³Good, not pristine. Clean city air; most people will not notice anything today.
  • 9–15µg/m³Elevated. Usually no big deal today; sensitive lungs may notice hard exercise.
  • 15–35µg/m³Polluted. Smoke or traffic pollution is now worth acting on.
  • 35–55µg/m³Unhealthy for sensitive. Symptoms become more likely, especially with asthma or heart disease.
  • 55+µg/m³Unhealthy. Everyone should reduce exposure and clean the indoor air.

Act four · The fine print

The receipts

What is PM2.5?

Fine particles about 30× thinner than a human hair — small enough to slip through your lungs and into your bloodstream. We measure them inµg/m³: micrograms of particle mass in a cubic metre of air.

The math

PM2.5 here is 6.9 µg/m³.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at this level: 6.9/22 × 7 = 2.2 cigarettes.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
See the full method →