More than 1 million Americans have been warned to shut their windows and stay out of the dirty outdoor air as a hazardous dust plume sweeps across the Southwest.
Air quality monitors in Texas, New Mexico and parts of Arizona sounded the alarm Friday morning as dust storms sent potentially toxic particles surging across the region.
El Paso, Texas, is the largest city caught in the air quality emergency. The border city, home to nearly 900,000 people, sits directly across from Juárez, Mexico, and is now at the center of a sprawling stretch of dangerous air.
The unhealthy plume stretches roughly 200 miles along the border through Texas and New Mexico.
Officials have blamed the conditions on fine particulate matter, microscopic particles that can work their way deep into the lungs and trigger inflammation, breathing problems and other health issues.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classified air across the El Paso metro area as “unhealthy,” while a patch near the U.S. Army’s Fort Bliss was listed as “very unhealthy.”
The World Air Quality Index project, a nonprofit that tracks real-time pollution data around the globe, showed the air quality index reaching 411 in northern El Paso.
That is deep into dangerous territory.
Air quality is typically measured on a scale from 0 to 500. Once outdoor air reaches the 300 to 500 range, the EPA warns that everyone should avoid physical activity outside.
*Blowing Dust Advisory West El Paso/Las Cruces – until 9 p.m..
A look at some of the dust starting to move into El Paso(especially affecting West El Paso)
Track our weather: https://t.co/RvhxIvUB6M pic.twitter.com/Q3HgYrMzUX
— KFOXWeatherTeam (@KFOXWeatherTeam) June 5, 2026
The main culprit in the Southwest has been PM10, a type of particulate pollution made up of tiny solid particles or liquid droplets less than 10 micrometers in diameter. That is thinner than a human hair.
PM10 particles are larger than PM2.5 particles, which are often linked to car exhaust, factories and heavy metals. But PM10 can still cause serious health problems, especially for people who already struggle with breathing or heart conditions.
Repeated exposure can damage the lungs, worsen asthma and contribute to heart attacks and strokes that can lead to premature death.
AccuWeather warned residents about the risks in an air quality notice.
‘Exposure can result in eye and throat irritation, coughing or difficulty breathing, and aggravated asthma. More frequent and excessive exposure can result in more serious health effects.’
Live tracking data from IQAir showed the conditions were being fueled by steady winds pushing north from Mexico.
The severe conditions around El Paso are also tied to the region’s geography. Dust storms from the Chihuahuan Desert regularly whip across the southern border and can quickly turn the air into a health hazard.
Smog from cars, trucks and factories in Juárez, a fast-growing Mexican city of more than 1.6 million people, has also drifted across the border and contributed to the region’s chronic pollution problems.
The American Lung Association gave El Paso an “F” grade for ozone pollution in 2025.
New Mexico cities also came under warnings Friday as air quality reached levels considered dangerous for sensitive groups.
Those groups include people with heart or lung disease, older adults, pregnant women, children and workers who spend long stretches outdoors.
Las Cruces, Silver City, Deming and Lordsburg were all in the affected zone, putting roughly 250,000 people under poor air conditions.
In Arizona, the EPA said smaller pockets of “unhealthy” air appeared mainly over the Maricopa Indian Reservation south of Phoenix.
The warnings leave residents across three states facing a grim choice: stay inside, keep windows closed and wait for the dirty air to clear.
For the Southwest, the latest dust plume is another reminder that border-region pollution, desert winds and industrial smog can combine into a dangerous mix fast.
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