Unseasonably cool weather brings low pollen counts

Earlier this year, ABC 17 News reported how the long and cold winter would greatly affect the spring allergy season and bring something known as a pollen vortex. Now as the seasons transition, pollen counts are on the downward trend, and for a variety of reasons. Currently, nearly 80 percent of the nation is experiencing low pollen counts, according to pollen.com.

While the month of October started out with fairly high pollen counts, a series of cold fronts and unseasonably cooler weather has brought an end to pollen for many of us. For many, fall allergies typically ease in October the farther north you go in the United States. This is due to the cooler weather filtering into the country from Canada. Pollen typically thrives on warm, sunny, and dry days, with cooler and damp weather bringing a reduction in pollen count.

The drought that gripped a large portion of the nation during the summer, brought an earlier and worse start to the fall pollen season, but as we transitioned into October, things began to change. The warm start to the month with highs in the 80s, were replaced with highs struggling to climb out of the 50s and on some days even the 60s. This came after a strong cold front ushered in fall weather and brought nearly three inches of rain to parts of mid-Missouri, which alleviated many drought concerns. The rain amounts helped wash the pollen away from the region, which hasn’t been able to fully recover since then due to the unseasonably cold weather.

So what are pollen counts and how do they work?

Pollen counts are nothing more than the amount of pollen in the air. They are normally obtained through the collection of air samples, which occurs through various methods. Once collected, an estimate to how much pollen is present in the air is determined, which is how pollen levels are determined over a period of days.

While pollen counts affect people differently based on their sensitivity and/or if they are allergic to the pollen in question, a pollen forecast can largely be accurate for the average person and can let many know whether it’s best to spend time outdoors or stay in for the day.

Currently, the same weather pattern that has been in place across mid-Missouri for most of this month is forecast to remain in place. Once more, a round of cold fronts will track through the region and keep the pollen counts at a minimum. Pollen.com currently forecasts pollen counts will remain on the low side as we head through the next several days, with the main pollens being ragweed, chenopods, and nettle.

Stay with ABC 17 News as we continue to monitor the changing seasons and follow us on Twitter @ABC17Stormtrack.

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