RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — May is just two days away, and around this time, we should be seeing the tree pollen levels start to drop. They have, but are still in the high category, according to the North Carolina Department of Air Quality.
They've dropped enough to the point where you're probably not seeing as heavy of a yellow tint on your car as you might have a few weeks ago, but it's still sticking around heading into May, thanks in large part to how dry April has been.
It's on track to be the 8th driest April in the Triangle on record, and with fewer rainy days, that leads to less of that pesky pollen being washed out of the air.
The graph of tree pollen measurements dating back to February 1 shows the trend. We started slow, but started to jump by late March into April. The measurement on March 31st set a record for the highest pollen count in the Triangle, dating back to 1999. Even though it's dropped off over the past couple of weeks, it's still considered high; anything above 270 is in the high category.
We see a different story when we look at grass pollen levels. Typically, it picks up as we head into May, and it's starting to now. After spiking briefly back in March, it's steadily started to come up over the past week or two. It usually peaks right around Memorial Day.
Meanwhile, we have to wait until after Labor Day for weed pollen levels to come up. Ragweed usually peaks in mid-September into early October. Every drop of rain we get over the next month or two will all work to continue to wash that yellow stuff out of the air.
For more on NCDAQ's pollen collection techniques and prior data, head to their website for more information here.