Accuweather Mold Count (2024)

FAQs

When is pollen count highest? ›

When Is The Pollen Count High? Pollen counts usually rise in the morning, and reach their peak by midday or early afternoon.

"Grass is during summer and weed pollen is the last we see in the late summer and fall." AccuWeather experts warn that it could be a bad year all around for allergies in the eastern United States, starting in midspring and not letting up until after the dog days of summer.

To make matters worse, unseasonably mild winters, warm springs and dry summers in recent years have led to plants growing more vigorously and a longer, stronger growing season. So, hay fever sufferers can experience symptoms from early spring until late autumn.

Tree pollen season also often overlaps with grass pollen in the late spring and summer. Throughout the U.S., trees produce the most pollen from March through May. But in some regions, such as the South, trees may produce pollen as early as January and peak at multiple times during the year.

The pollen count tends to rise during the morning and often peaks around early afternoon. The lowest count is towards the late afternoon and into the early evening.

Worst Cities and States for Allergies

States that have a lot of trees, grass, and weeds will have a lot of allergens. Areas in the Northeast U.S. like Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut. Virginia, Kansas, and Texas have a high rate of allergens.

Furthermore, research shows that vitamin D can activate certain regulatory immune system cells that prevent the release of chemicals that cause and worsen allergic diseases. 1 So a deficiency in vitamin D may inhibit this regulatory mechanism, which may worsen or trigger allergic disease.

Take vitamin D

“This may influence how the immune response 'overreacts' to an allergen and may explain the exacerbated symptoms we are seeing,” says Wilkhu. “It's important to check your vitamin D levels if you're suffering badly with hay fever.

Pollen: Rain prevents pollen from traveling and can be a relief for some people with this common allergy. However, it can also increase pollen exposure when pollen is broken into smaller particles. Pollen counts also sometimes increase significantly right after rainstorms.

Second-generation antihistamines: The preferred first-step agent is certirizine (Zyrtec); others include loratadine (Claritin), fexofenadine (Allegra). All are taken once per day and are generally cause little to no drowsiness. We recommend cetirizine for initial treatment.

Do trees release more pollen at night? ›

Diagnosing a Tree Pollen Allergy

Pollen counts are highest in the morning, peak about midday, and then gradually fall. The lowest pollen counts are usually in the late afternoon to early evening.

For ragweed pollen, for example, the ACAAI says ragweed starts growing in August and may not stop until November. For grass pollen, you're more likely to be symptomatic later in the season, from May to July, which is technically summertime. Tree pollen tends to be at its worst from March until the middle of May.

People may experience fewer symptoms of hay fever on rainy days because rain prevents pollen from traveling. However, it may increase exposure to it. Although rain washes away pollen, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, pollen counts can rapidly increase after rainfall.

When Is Peak Allergy Season? In Florida, you'll want to keep an eye on pollen counts in April, May, and September. These months are when seasonal allergies are typically at their peak. During these months, try limiting your time outdoors or going out in the evening when pollen counts tend to be lower in Florida.

Many plants produce most of their pollen during the night and early morning hours, and are then spread in the air during the day. Wind conditions have a great influence on the release of pollen and can carry the pollen high into the air by noon, only to drop again later in the afternoon.