09-04-2025
Spring allergy season returns to NJ. How bad will it be?
While plenty of New Jerseyans complained about the colder-than-usual winter we just experienced, allergy sufferers may hold back on their criticism.
The mostly frigid and dry conditions seen over the last three months may produce less pollen from trees this spring in what is the first and often largest wave of seasonal allergy triggers.
But experts disagree on the outlook, and some caution that forecasts aren't always an exact science.
'It really depends on the weather we get during the season,' said Dr. Catherine Monteleone, director of allergy and immunology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. 'There have been plenty of times when I've heard that it's going to be the worst season in 10 years, and then it rains every day, and it's not.'
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Many experts agree that the average allergy season has gotten longer over the past several decades as the planet has slowly warmed. Tree pollen bursts much earlier — sometimes even in late winter. Warmer conditions trigger summer grass pollen in late spring in the Northeast. And warm summer weather extends into autumn now, producing more ragweed pollen.
'Climate change has been the main driver for worse allergy seasons,' said Dr. Mohammed Younus, an allergist and immunologist at Hackensack University Medical Center. 'We're seeing more pollination, more growth of trees and flowers.'
Demand for accurate allergy forecasts has risen as one in four adults and one in five children suffer from seasonal allergies. For many people, allergies are merely bothersome, resulting in sniffles and watery eyes. In extreme cases, allergies can trigger asthma attacks that require a trip to the emergency room.
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In the middle are people hammered by symptoms that just don't seem to go away. "It feels like they have the flu for months," Monteleone said.
Long-range allergy forecasts have the same level of accuracy as long-range weather forecasts, because the two are intertwined.
Warmer winter conditions usually set the stage for an earlier and prolonged allergy season. Wet conditions set the stage for an abundance of tree pollen.
But weather patterns can change every year, and the winter of 2025 was anything but warm and wet.
The average temperature in New Jersey from December through February was 32.3 degrees — almost 2 degrees below normal, said State Climatologist David Robinson.
New Jersey received an average of 15 inches of snowfall statewide over the winter — almost 5 inches below normal. Rain has been so infrequent that most of New Jersey remains under drought conditions.
The result? Younus has said he has seen fewer patients come to his office this spring.
'Some years we had patients coming in as early as mid-to-late-February, and we haven't seen that this year,' he said. 'The patients we're seeing have less severe symptoms.'
All of this is subject to change. Weather patterns over the next few weeks and months can turn a moderate allergy season into a bad one. The reverse can also happen. And bad days may pop up with little warning.
"Just because it's an average season doesn't mean someone can't be miserable for a few days or a week," Monteleone said. "We can have some dry, windy days after some rain, and then we're going to have some bad days."
Find out what you're allergic to by getting a skin test at an allergist's office. An array of allergens — from different tree pollens to cat dander — are placed on the skin to see if a reaction occurs. The method has been in use for decades and is still one of the most accurate and fastest ways to find out who is allergic to what.
Time the allergy season to be prepared. Tree pollen typically begins in early spring. Grass pollen starts in late spring and early summer. Weed pollen comes out in late summer and early fall.
Try some time-honored lifestyle changes. Don't go out as much. Change clothes every time you come indoors, because pollen is sticky. Take a shower before bed. Take multiple showers a day if it's possible. Rub down dogs or cats when they come indoors. Keep the windows closed. Turn on the air conditioner or a filter.
The number of over-the-counter allergy medications has increased in recent decades. You can do a trial-and-error experiment and see which ones work best for which season. Or consult a doctor over which one may be right.
If oral medication is not helping, there patients can have a series of injections. Though they are effective, it can take three to five years of monthly shots to build up a tolerance.
This article originally appeared on Spring allergy season returns to NJ. How bad will 2025 be?
