Latest news with #Pollen.com
Axios
07-05-2025
- Climate
- Axios
Seattle pollen count forecast spikes
Seattle's spring allergy season is kicking into high gear — with pollen counts expected to be high through Saturday, according to By the numbers: rates pollen levels on a 0–12 scale, with 7.3-9.6 considered high and anything above 9.7 considered very high. Seattle is predicted to see high counts this week, with pollen levels expected to hit 8.4 on Wednesday, per the five-day forecast. The count will remain under 9 through Friday, but is forecast to hit 9.7 on Saturday. What's happening: Tree pollen is the main offender this time of year, especially from maple, cedar, alder, and oak — all abundant in the Pacific Northwest. The big picture: Climate change is intensifying allergy seasons nationwide, making them start earlier and last longer.
Axios
07-04-2025
- Climate
- Axios
New Orleans is one of the country's allergy capitals
New Orleans is the second-worst place to live in the U.S. in terms of seasonal allergies, according to new data. Why it matters: We're currently in the midst of " The Pollening" in south Louisiana. The big picture: The worst cities are concentrated in the South and the East Coast, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America says. Wichita, Kansas, came in first for the third consecutive year. Baton Rouge ranked No. 14. See the full list. Between the lines: New Orleans ranked worse than average for pollen counts and over-the-counter medicine use but better than average for availability of health care professionals who specialize in allergies. Threat level: Recent pollen counts in New Orleans have been among the highest in the country as the region approaches the seasonal peak, according to Pollen-related allergies are what many people call " hay fever." Allergy symptoms vary by person, but they can include a runny nose, a stuffy nose, coughing, sneezing, watery eyes and nasal congestion. Seasonal allergies often make asthma symptoms worse, too. Zoom out: The New Orleans metro has four main allergy irritants, says Anna Timmerman, an LSU AgCenter assistant horticultural agent for St. Bernard Parish. Tree pollen is the primary offender at the start of the season with live oaks, pine, pecan, tallow, elm and cedar trees, she previously told Axios. Next up is ragweed, grass and mold. Ligustrum is a widely used ornamental shrub and causes allergy problems for some people. Magnolias, jasmine, gardenias and other blooming ornamentals usually don't bother people, she said. Zoom in: New Orleans leapfrogged up the rankings, mainly due to climate change, according to Kenneth Mendez, the president and CEO of the allergy foundation. Last year, New Orleans was ranked No. 34, based on 2023 data. He said New Orleans had a much higher weed pollen season in 2024, possibly due to increased moisture from Hurricane Francine, which made landfall in September. November was also the warmest on record in Louisiana, he said, which would have extended the growing season. State of play: Most major U.S. cities are suffering from longer allergy seasons amid human-caused climate change, according to new analysis from Climate Central. "Climate change makes pollen seasons not only longer, but also more intense due to heat-trapping pollution," per Climate Central's report. "Higher levels of planet-warming CO2 in the air can boost pollen production in plants, particularly in grasses and ragweed." How it works: To rank allergy capitals, the foundation looked at year-round pollen counts, over-the-counter allergy medicine use and availability of board-certified allergists/immunologists in the 100 most populated U.S. metros. Go deeper
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Is pollen worse this year? Why we may see higher pollen counts in the years to come
Spring has begun and, in the South, it has been marked with a yellow dust covering everything in sight. Across most of the Southern United States, pollen has taken over everything from cars and roads to rooftops and sidewalks. A yellow haze has become the norm in Memphis, one of the worst cities for allergies due to pollen counts. According to IQAir, an air quality monitoring organization, pollen counts vary widely in Memphis due to environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and sunlight. Here's what to know about the extra pollen. An unforeseen side effect of climate change is increased pollen counts. Recent climate change has caused weather patterns to shift. There are more days without frost or freezes, warmer seasonal air temperatures and more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, all of which can contribute to higher pollen counts and earlier pollen seasons. Warmer temperatures and more carbon dioxide allow plants to grow more aggressively, which can account for more pollen in the air. Allergy season will likely continue to worsen for many individuals with tree, grass or weed allergies. According to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, pollen amounts between 1990 and 2018 increased by up to 21%. Memphis stayed in the medium to high range for pollen levels in March. The scale for pollen goes from 0 to 12 and is divided into four categories, according to Low: 0-2.4 Low-medium: 2.5-4.8 Medium: 4.9-7.2 Medium-high: 7.3-9.6 High: 9.7-12 In Memphis, there were six days in March when the pollen levels were 9.7 or higher. For March, nine days were in the medium-high category, and four were in the medium category. For the coming week, Memphis is expected to have a break in pollen counts with low counts forecasted for the next few days. There are three parts to pollen season: tree, grass and weed. In total, the three seasons cover about nine months: February through October. Tree pollen allergy season begins in late February and lasts through April. Due to milder temperatures, some areas in the South can see pollen production as early as December or January. Trees that cause the most allergy symptoms are: Alder Ash Aspen Beech Birch Box elder Cedar Cottonwood Elm Hickory Juniper Maple Mulberry Oak Olive Pecan Poplar Walnut Willow Grass pollen allergy season lasts from April through early June. Like trees, the South is known to see grass pollen production throughout the year in warmer areas. Grasses that cause allergy symptoms are: Bahia Bermuda Fescue Johnson Kentucky blue Orchard Rye Sweet vernal Timothy Weed pollen season is the last to begin of the three and lasts from late summer through fall. Ragweed is the most common weed to cause allergy symptoms in the United States. Weeds that cause symptoms include: Burning bush Cocklebur Lamb's-quarters Mugwort Pigweed Ragweed Russian thistle Sagebrush Tumbleweed This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Why is pollen season so bad this year? How long does season last?
Axios
25-03-2025
- Climate
- Axios
Richmond allergy season is getting longer — and it's worse than ever
Richmond's spring allergy season is incoming — and it's getting longer. Why it matters: We were once again ranked as one of the worst U.S. metro areas to live in for people with seasonal allergies this year, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America The big picture: In the past 50 years, Richmond's allergy season has grown by more than a month (31 days), according to Climate Central. The research and communications group analyzed the freeze-free season between 1970 and 2024 as a proxy for allergy season. Better plant growth happens when it's warmer, and warmer temperatures mean more sneeze-inducing pollen. Plus, "Climate change makes pollen seasons not only longer, but also more intense due to heat-trapping pollution," per Climate Central's report. "Higher levels of planet-warming CO2 in the air can boost pollen production in plants, particularly in grasses and ragweed." The bright side: We don't live in Reno, Nevada, where the allergy season has lengthened by 96 days since 1970. But Norfolk's allergy-sufferers have it best in Virginia. Their allergy season has only grown by eight days. What's next: Richmond's pollen count is medium-high this week with juniper, birch and sycamore being our predominant pollen, per Some tips from the AAFA on getting those allergies under control:
