Pollen season is about to peak in North Carolina. What to know
If your car is coated in yellow and your eyes won’t stop itching, the worst is almost here — but relief isn’t far behind. Here’s what Triangle allergy sufferers need to know right now.
FULL STORY: Triangle Pollen Season Is About to Peak: Here’s the Date and How to Survive It
Here are key takeaways:
• Pine pollen will likely peak around March 30 and taper off by early April, according to Robert Bardon, associate dean for Extension in NC State’s College of Natural Resources.
• Monday, March 23, hit “very high” levels — 1,450 visible grains per cubic meter — the first “very high” reading of the year. So much pollen was in the air it appeared as a “solid sheet” on National Weather Service radar.
• Go outside later in the day, not first thing in the morning. Plants produce more pollen in the morning, Bardon said. He also recommended opening windows at nighttime rather than during the day.
• The yellow pine pollen isn’t your only problem. Other tree pollen — from juniper, cedar, cypress, elm and maple — is also in the air but invisible. Even when the yellow dusting fades, those pollens may still trigger symptoms.
• You can get a daily pollen report from NC DEQ’s Division of Air Quality by emailing DEQ.AQ.ask_ambient@deq.nc.gov. The report breaks down levels by tree type.
• Allergy season in North Carolina officially begins in March and usually reaches its peak in April.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.
