In Atlanta, the pollen count climbed to the “extremely high” range on Monday — the earliest it has done so in 30 years of record-keeping, according to the Atlanta Allergy and Asthma physicians practice. By Tuesday, thetree pollen count had doubled.
Farther north in Washington, DC, the first “high” tree pollen count appeared a month ago on February 8, theWashington Post’s Capital Weather Gang reported. At 487 grains per every cubic meter of air, it was the highest count on record so early in the season, Susan Kosisky, a chief microbiologist at the US Army Centralized Allergen Extract Lab, told the Post.
In short, pollen has exploded from plants much earlier than normal this year after anexceptionally warm Februaryin the South and East. But these aren’t isolated trends. As the planet warms, researchers say, allergy seasonis starting earlier and lasting longer.
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A report released Wednesday by Climate Central, a nonprofit focused on climate news and research, analyzed how warmer temperatures have affected allergy season in 203 US cities since 1970. It found that on average, growing season — the period between the last freeze in spring to the first freeze of fall — is lasting 16 days longer in the Southeast, 15 days longer in the Northeast and 14 days longer in the South.
In the West, growing season is 27 days longer on average, Climate Central reported. Reno, Nevada, for example, has seen a shocking increase of 99 days.
“Because of climate change, we’re now seeing an earlier and longer growing season for plants, which of course make pollen, which is the enemy of many Americans that suffer from pollen allergies — and mold allergies as well, ” Lauren Casey, a meteorologist with Climate Central, told CNN. “Pollen can also trigger an asthma attack, which of course is much more serious for people that suffer from asthma.”
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When plants reproduce, typically during the spring, many release tiny pollen grains that are carried by wind. The pollen grains are small enough to be inhaled, and some people’s immune systems react very poorly to the miniscule particles.
More than 24 million people in the US have pollen-induced respiratory allergies like hay fever, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A longer and earlier start to pollen season could trigger a public health emergency, researchers say. As temperatures get warmer in the South and drought plagues the Southwest, pollen from plants like ragweed or poaceae — a plant that typically grows in grasslands or salt-marshes — is projected to be higher across those regions than in the North.
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Wind-driven pollen, which plays an important role in plant fertilization, is closely tied to temperature and precipitation changes. So, as spring seasons get warmer earlier due to climate change, plants could pollinate much earlier and for a longer period of time than they currently do.
Plant pollen isn’t the only trigger of seasonal allergies. Mold, a type of fungi that reproduces with tiny airborne spores, can also be allergenic for some people and can exacerbate seasonal allergies, according to the report.
While outdoor mold is not as well-studied as pollen, according to the report, one thing is clear: Warmer and wetter weather — conditions that many locations are seeing more of amid the climate crisis — is favorable for mold development.
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“With climate change, we’re seeing increases in warming in all seasons, but particularly the fastest warming season for most locations across the US is the winter season, ” Casey said. “So now we’re dealing with mold at a time of year that we typically wouldn’t.”
Casey also pointed out that the climate crisis is making extreme precipitation more likely, which provides that crucial dampness for mold to grow. The report highlights the link between allergens and thunderstorms, which researchers say spread pollen and mold spores through the air more efficiently.
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“The problem with pollen grains is that when they get wet, they rupture, and they break into tinier bits called sub-pollen particles, ” Casey said. “Those tinier bits are more easily dispersed by the wind when they dry out, and they have an easier time getting into your nasal passages.”
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Dr. Mitchell Grayson, chair of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s Medical Scientific Council and chief of the division of allergy and immunology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, said he has seen pollen allergies arrive earlier than usual.
“In general, we may be seeing people a little earlier in the spring with symptoms — so mid-February from what might have been early March in the past — but there is significant year-to-year variability in this, ” he told CNN. “I haven’t seen worse symptoms, but I’m in a hospital that provides specialist care, and we do see people with all ranges of severity.”
Treatment of allergies won’t change, even as the season gets longer, Grayson said, but it’s important to be aware of what you’re allergic to and know where these triggers are in the environment.
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Casey, the meteorologist, also noted that allergy season could be a financial a burden on low-income families, especially those whose members have asthma, due to the “billions of dollars spent a year on the medical costs of asthma and allergies.”
“You know your own body and are aware of what a typical year is going to look like for you, especially if you’re an allergy sufferer, ” she said. “But that whole paradigm is changing with this increase in the growing season, so having awareness that you may be suffering now and going forward in times of the year when you typically wouldn’t, so be prepared for that in your daily life.”This pollen-covered car is an example of the actual horrors of North Carolina pollen. It’s not unusual for pollen to be so thick in the spring that cars and bodies of water actually turn yellow.
Throughout the year, plants release pollen as part of their natural reproductive process. Unfortunately, some of those plants rely on wind to spread their pollen.
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You might think that the pollen causing your nose to run comes from flowers, but it’s more likely from trees, grass, and weeds. Pretty flowers and colorful plants are attractive to insects, which typically means they rely on insect-pollination. When plants don’t rely on wind for pollination, they don’t produce as much pollen (and the pollen they do produce usually isn’t airborne). These wind-pollinated plants are the enemy of allergy sufferers all over!
If you have itchy eyes, you probably have allergies, not a cold. Not only that, but if your symptoms seem to get worse when you go outside, you might have allergies.
Lastly, a cold lasts about a week, but allergies will stick around until your allergen is gone. In NC, allergy season feels like it lasts forever. Surprise! That’s because we actually have
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In North Carolina, we don’t just have one pollen season—we have three. There’s some overlap in these seasons. The different pollen seasons are determined by the types of plants producing pollen.
Oak trees are pretty, and even their flowers (pictured) are unique and beautiful! You know what’s not beautiful? Snot. Itchy eyes. Coughing. All the stuff this pollen is gonna do to people when it runs rampant across Charlotte.
Between March and June, trees are releasing their pollen into the air. In North Carolina, this allergy season tends to peak in April. Some of the biggest tree pollen culprits in Charlotte include:
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Magnolia, crepe myrtle, Bradford pear, Leyland cypress, sweetgum, red maple, and loblolly pine sometimes cause allergies in certain individuals, but they’re not known for having as big of an effect as the others. Youmight find some other allergy-inducing trees, such as willow, pecan, mulberry, elm, cottonwood, cedar, aspen, and ash trees, though these are not as commonly found in Charlotte.
Grass pollen season in North Carolina lasts from mid spring until fall, and the peak is between April and May. The most common types of grass in NC are Bermuda grass, tall fescue, centipede, ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and zoysia grasses. If you know that the grass on your property is tall fescue grass, you’re in luck! Tall fescue isn’t typically a major cause of allergy symptoms.
The third pollen season in NC, caused by weeds, lasts from August until frost, with the peak in September. Various weeds in the Carolinas cause allergies, but ragweed is by far the worst.
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This seemingly innocent plant is ragweed. In other words, every allergy-sufferer’s worst nightmare. *shudders* Is anyone else’s nose running thinking about it?
Ragweed produces about a billion pollen grains per season, and there are 17 species of it in the country. In the US, 23 million people have a ragweed allergy! Rural parts of Charlotte tend to suffer from worse ragweed allergies than others, but if weather permits, ragweed can travel up to 400 miles, affecting people even in the middle of the city.
The ragweed season in the US starts around mid-August. In the Charlotte area, peak ragweed season is September, and because Charlotte has warmer weather and ragweed produces pollen until frost, the season can last as late as November.
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North Carolina’s allergy season can seem hopeless. It feels never-ending, and the allergy symptoms seem inescapable! Fortunately, there
