It's allergy season. Check the pollen count in Rochester

Steve Howe, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Sneezing, coughing, watery eyes and a runny nose — symptoms many seasonal allergy sufferers are familiar with in western New York and beyond.

And with 50 million Americans suffering from allergies, there are plenty affected by high pollen counts in the spring, summer and fall. Pollen from trees, weeds and grasses are the most common sources of seasonal allergies. Rochester has been linked to higher-than-normal allergy challenges for people than the U.S. mainstream conditions.

What are allergies?

When a foreign substance, such as pet dander or pollen, comes into contact with the body, the immune system responds by producing antibodies. This reaction to the benign substance can cause symptoms like watery or swollen eyes, a runny, stuffy nose, sneezing and itching of the nose and eyes, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Rochester, NY Pollen Count
Infogram

What information is included in an allergy forecast?

Daily pollen counts are available from Dr. Albert Hartel, Allergy Asthma Immunology of Rochester. The counts include pollen concentrations in grains per cubic meter for trees, grasses and weeds.

The concentrations correspond with categories: low, moderate, high and very high. The higher the concentration, the more likely allergy sufferers will be affected. During May, those concentrations can remain high for trees, though grasses are low and weeds are often absent.

When are seasonal allergies active?

  • Tree pollen is typically the first to arrive on the scene, with the first allergies hitting as soon as February and running through mid-May.

  • Grass pollen typically emerges in April and persists through June.

  • Weeds, on the other hand, don’t typically affect allergy sufferers until August through November.

Factors like mild winter temperatures can lead to earlier plant pollination, while a rainy spring can spur plant growth and increase mold. The predominant allergen type also varies by region, with a 2019 study finding the Great Lakes region had a pollen composition of 81% trees, 13% weeds and 6% grasses.

This year, Rochester ranked 46th in the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America's top allergy capitals in the United States. This ranking expects an average allergy season in Rochester, but still in the top half of the nation's 100 most-populated cities. The Flower City was 20th in the 2023 rankings and 62nd in 2022.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Allergy pollen count monitoring in Rochester NY

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