RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) -- If your allergies started showing up in the last couple of days, there could be a good reason: The North Carolina pollen count report showed a "high" reading to kick off the season.
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Air Quality issued its first report less than a week ago which indicated 629 tree pollen grains over a 24-hour period.
The pollen report is recorded and issued on weekdays throughout pollen and allergy season.
So far, tree pollen is showing up as the problem with the following trees accounting for the problem pollen: Juniper/Cedar/Cypress, Elm, and Maple.
The N.C. Division of Air Quality operates a pollen sampler in Raleigh, which records the raw number of pollen grains on a "pollen rod."
Beginning for the first week on March 3, the density indicated 202 pollen grains per cubic meter. The numbers fell slightly through the week to 116, 126 and 55 by Friday.
March is when tree pollen tends to spike -- and generally gets worse as the month progresses.
The worst March tree pollen number since 1999 came on the last day of March 2020 when grains per cubic meter hit 2,327, according to historic info from the N.C. Division of Air Quality. But, just last year on March 21, tree pollen levels hit 2,039.
So far this year, pollen from weeds and pollen from grass are not showing up in the readings, which are taken in Raleigh at the Laboratory Analysis Branch headquarters on Reedy Creek Road.
Historic readings show that tree pollen appears to reach their generally worst levels in April.
The N.C. Division of Air Quality has explained how the categories of levels can be read to show impacts on the population.
"People vary in their sensitivities to pollen, and the categories can also be thought of as indicators to the proportion of the population that is affected with allergy symptoms (seasonal rhinitis). Very few people are adversely affected by 'low' pollen counts, while rather many may be affected by 'very high' pollen counts," officials said.
The N.C. Division of Air Quality issues pollen readings on X, formerly Twitter.
Click here for the latest pollen readings, which includes links to historic graphs and charts for trees, grasses and weeds.