Pimpri-Chinchwad — Seasonal Pollution Patterns
Month-by-month air quality patterns for Pimpri-Chinchwad across 1 years of CPCB data. Based on CPCB station data, 2016–present.
Maharashtra · Live Pimpri-Chinchwad AQI →
At a glance
Based on 1 years of CPCB monitoring across 4 stations, Pimpri-Chinchwad averages AQI 114 annually, with a pronounced seasonal pattern classified as monsoon-cleansed. The worst month is November at AQI 212 (Poor) and the cleanest is July at AQI 38 (Good) — a 174-point swing between them. Severe days (AQI > 400) make up 0% of the record while Good-or-Satisfactory days account for 42.0%.
The four seasons
Indian meteorological seasons: Winter (Dec–Feb), Summer (Mar–May), Monsoon (Jun–Sep), Post-monsoon (Oct–Nov).
Winter
AQI 198Summer
AQI 153Monsoon
AQI 53Post-monsoon
AQI 179Climograph — monthly averages and Poor+ days
Bars show the long-run AQI average per month. The overlay line counts days in Poor, Very Poor or Severe bands.
Year × month heatmap
One cell per year-month combination.
Each cell = monthly average AQI for that year-month combination. Row averages on the right, column averages at the bottom.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 183 | 184 | 150 | 129 | 95 | 45 | 38 | 42 | 45 | 82 | 212 | 138 | 114 |
| Avg | 183 | 184 | 150 | 129 | 95 | 45 | 38 | 42 | 45 | 82 | 212 | 138 | — |
Winter in Pimpri-Chinchwad
Winter (Dec–Jan–Feb) in Pimpri-Chinchwad averages AQI 198 across 91 measured days — Moderate on the NAQI scale. 1.1% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 2.2% are Good or Satisfactory. Winter is the defining season for Pimpri-Chinchwad's air quality. Shallow temperature inversions trap local vehicle, industrial and biomass emissions near ground level, while regional transport patterns bring in dust and biomass smoke from upwind regions. Cool, stagnant mornings compound the problem; visibility falls, respiratory complaints spike, and short-term pollution peaks of AQI 400+ are routine. Sensitive groups — children, elderly, asthma and cardiac patients — should treat the full Dec–Jan–Feb window as a mandatory mask-and-purifier period.
Diwali, stubble burning and the monsoon
Three India-specific signatures that shape the seasonal curve.
Diwali week impact
The 7-day window around Diwali averages AQI 206 (Poor), versus 93 (Satisfactory) for the rest of October. 7 sampled days across the CPCB record.
Stubble-burning window (Oct 15 – Nov 15)
In-window severe-day share 0% vs 0% outside the window. The difference is a direct signal of upwind crop-residue transport.
Monsoon cleansing (Jul 15 – Sep 15)
Core monsoon window averages AQI 50 (Good), compared with an annual mean of 135.
Summer
Summer (Mar–Apr–May) in Pimpri-Chinchwad averages AQI 153 across 92 measured days — Moderate on the NAQI scale. 0% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 15.2% are Good or Satisfactory. Summer air in Pimpri-Chinchwad is shaped by a very different mix of forces. Rising temperatures drive deeper vertical mixing which dilutes local emissions, but pre-monsoon dust storms, wildfires and heat-accelerated ozone formation can all push AQI higher on individual days. Pimpri-Chinchwad's summer mean of 153 sits in the Moderate-to-Poor range, indicating that dust and gaseous precursors dominate the seasonal profile rather than the winter particulate peak common to north Indian cities.
Monsoon
Monsoon (Jun–Jul–Aug–Sep) in Pimpri-Chinchwad averages AQI 53 across 122 measured days — Satisfactory on the NAQI scale. 0.8% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 98.4% are Good or Satisfactory. The Jul 15 – Sep 15 core monsoon window averages AQI 50, a 63% improvement on the annual mean of 135. Rain scrubs particulates out by wet deposition, and the deeper monsoon boundary layer disperses what remains vertically. Short-lived rebounds can happen between spells of rain, but the overall pattern is strongly favourable for outdoor activity. For anyone with asthma or heart conditions, monsoon is the easy-breathing stretch of the year in Pimpri-Chinchwad.
Post-monsoon
Post-monsoon (Oct–Nov) in Pimpri-Chinchwad averages AQI 179 across 61 measured days — Moderate on the NAQI scale. 9.8% of those days fall in Very Poor or Severe; 29.5% are Good or Satisfactory. Diwali and the three days either side of it average AQI 206 — 2.22× the normal October baseline of AQI 93 for Pimpri-Chinchwad, a spike of 113 points. Post-monsoon in Pimpri-Chinchwad is the handoff from clean monsoon air to the winter peak, and the transition is rarely gentle.
Month-by-month trajectories
How each month has moved across the 1-year CPCB record.
Daily calendar heatmap
Every measured day for the last 1 years. Expand for the full 1-year archive.
Month-by-month deep dive
Tap any month to expand.
Jan2024–2024Latest AQI 183+0%
Jan in Pimpri-Chinchwad averages AQI 183 (Moderate) in the most recent year, having moved from 183 in 2024. Direction: stable (+0.0%).
Feb2024–2024Latest AQI 184+0%
Feb in Pimpri-Chinchwad averages AQI 184 (Moderate) in the most recent year, having moved from 184 in 2024. Direction: stable (+0.0%).
Mar2024–2024Latest AQI 150+0%
Mar in Pimpri-Chinchwad averages AQI 150 (Moderate) in the most recent year, having moved from 150 in 2024. Direction: stable (+0.0%).
Apr2024–2024Latest AQI 129+0%
Apr in Pimpri-Chinchwad averages AQI 129 (Moderate) in the most recent year, having moved from 129 in 2024. Direction: stable (+0.0%).
May2024–2024Latest AQI 95+0%
May in Pimpri-Chinchwad averages AQI 95 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 95 in 2024. Direction: stable (+0.0%).
Jun2024–2024Latest AQI 45+0%
Jun in Pimpri-Chinchwad averages AQI 45 (Good) in the most recent year, having moved from 45 in 2024. Direction: stable (+0.0%).
Jul2024–2024Latest AQI 38+0%
Jul in Pimpri-Chinchwad averages AQI 38 (Good) in the most recent year, having moved from 38 in 2024. Direction: stable (+0.0%).
Aug2024–2024Latest AQI 42+0%
Aug in Pimpri-Chinchwad averages AQI 42 (Good) in the most recent year, having moved from 42 in 2024. Direction: stable (+0.0%).
Sep2024–2024Latest AQI 45+0%
Sep in Pimpri-Chinchwad averages AQI 45 (Good) in the most recent year, having moved from 45 in 2024. Direction: stable (+0.0%).
Oct2024–2024Latest AQI 82+0%
Oct in Pimpri-Chinchwad averages AQI 82 (Satisfactory) in the most recent year, having moved from 82 in 2024. Direction: stable (+0.0%).
Nov2024–2024Latest AQI 212+0%
Nov in Pimpri-Chinchwad averages AQI 212 (Poor) in the most recent year, having moved from 212 in 2024. Direction: stable (+0.0%).
Dec2024–2024Latest AQI 138+0%
Dec in Pimpri-Chinchwad averages AQI 138 (Moderate) in the most recent year, having moved from 138 in 2024. Direction: stable (+0.0%).
Cities with similar (and opposite) seasonal profiles
Ranked by cosine similarity of 12-month AQI signatures across monitored Indian cities.
Similar seasonal profile
Cities whose 12-month AQI signature most closely matches Pimpri-Chinchwad.
Opposite seasonal profile
Cities whose seasonal signature least resembles Pimpri-Chinchwad.
What to do with this information
If you are choosing when to visit Pimpri-Chinchwad or plan outdoor events — marathons, weddings, school sports, outdoor festivals — the CPCB record says July and the two adjacent months are the lowest-risk window. Daily variability still matters; check the live AQI page before committing on any specific date. Sensitive groups should treat November in Pimpri-Chinchwad as an indoor-air-priority month: close windows on high-AQI evenings, run a purifier with a HEPA filter rated for your room size, and reserve outdoor exercise for clear-weather mornings. On days above AQI 300, even healthy adults benefit from well-fitted N95 or KN95 masks for outdoor commutes.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the most polluted month in Pimpri-Chinchwad?
November is the most polluted month in Pimpri-Chinchwad on average, with a long-run AQI of 212 — firmly in the Poor band. This is drawn from 4 CPCB monitoring stations across 1 years of daily readings. Through November, residents should expect elevated PM2.5 and PM10, reduced visibility on cooler mornings, and strong recommendations from doctors to limit outdoor exertion, wear well-fitted N95 masks, and run indoor purifiers through evening and overnight hours when pollutant accumulation typically peaks.
What is the cleanest month to visit Pimpri-Chinchwad?
July is the cleanest month of the year in Pimpri-Chinchwad, averaging AQI 38 in the Good band. The months immediately before and after also tend to sit well below the annual mean of 114, so a visit window centred on July is the safest choice for outdoor sightseeing, marathons, school trips and wedding events. Mornings are usually the crispest time to head out; pollution tends to creep up slightly during the evening commute even in the cleanest months. Always cross-check the day-of live AQI before any high-exertion outdoor plan.
Why does Pimpri-Chinchwad's air spike in November?
Pimpri-Chinchwad shows a clear monsoon-cleansed signature — rain and deeper atmospheric mixing drop AQI to a seasonal trough, and everything else relative to that trough looks elevated. The specific November spike combines pre-monsoon dust, post-rain rebounds and the arrival of cool-season trapping effects.
How bad is Diwali air quality in Pimpri-Chinchwad?
Across the CPCB record, the week around Diwali in Pimpri-Chinchwad averages AQI 206 — 2.22× the normal October baseline of AQI 93, a spike of 113 AQI points. Firework particulates combine with a cooler, more stagnant late-October atmosphere to produce some of the worst air-quality days of the entire year. Sensitive groups should treat Diwali eve and the two days after as peak-alert days: stay indoors, close windows by evening, run purifiers on high, and reserve any outdoor celebrations for daytime hours when mixing is strongest.
Does the monsoon actually clean Pimpri-Chinchwad's air?
Yes — meaningfully. Pimpri-Chinchwad's core monsoon window (Jul 15 – Sep 15) averages AQI 50, a 63% improvement on the annual mean of 135. Rain removes airborne particulates by wet deposition, and the deeper monsoon boundary layer disperses what remains vertically. Across 122 measured monsoon days we see 98.4% in the Good-or-Satisfactory band.
Is Pimpri-Chinchwad's worst season getting worse or better year-on-year?
We need more years of CPCB coverage in Pimpri-Chinchwad to quantify year-on-year change with confidence.
Which months are safest to visit Pimpri-Chinchwad?
July is the single best month at AQI 38. Based on the 12-month averages, the three cleanest months in Pimpri-Chinchwad are July (AQI 38), August (AQI 42), June (AQI 45). These are the safest choices for outdoor itineraries, long walks, open-air concerts and day-trips. Sensitive groups can treat these months as near-normal activity windows but should still check live AQI for the specific date. Avoid planning outdoor-heavy trips in November, when the baseline jumps into Poor territory.
How does Pimpri-Chinchwad's seasonal pattern compare to other Indian cities?
Pimpri-Chinchwad is classified as monsoon-cleansed. Based on a 12-month cosine-similarity index computed across all monitored Indian cities, the city whose seasonal signature most closely resembles Pimpri-Chinchwad's is Thane (Maharashtra), with its own worst month in January. Cities with similar signatures often respond to similar policy levers — if a neighbouring peer has demonstrated improvements through specific interventions (construction-dust controls, bus electrification, brick-kiln regulation), they are likely candidates for Pimpri-Chinchwad too. The peer-city panel on this page lists the closest four additional matches.