Houston Surpasses Los Angeles Again as Smoggiest City
- Share via
HOUSTON — Blistering heat over the Labor Day holiday weekend helped put Houston back in front of Los Angeles as the nation’s smoggiest city.
As of Thursday, Houston had clocked 37 days on which ozone readings exceeded the federal health limit, compared with 34 days for Los Angeles, officials in Texas and California said.
While Los Angeles has had relatively mild weather recently, Houston has experienced a heat wave culminating in a record-setting 109 degrees on Labor Day Monday.
Sunlight and ozone are key ingredients in the formation of smog, which is associated with illnesses such as asthma.
Houston overtook Los Angeles for the first time last year, when its ozone readings exceeded the federal limit on 52 days against 42 days for its California rival.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
