- Allergy sufferers are dealing with watery eyes, sniffling and other reactions
- Ragweed pollen counts are predicted to be nearly off the charts this weekend
- Rain in the forecast can help keep the pollen levels down
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – August has brought more than an early taste of autumn to the Lehigh Valley.
Ragweed season is here, experts say, and airborne ragweed pollen is contributing heavily to watery eyes, sniffling and other allergic reactions.
The middle of the month is prime time for pollen production, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection – and that’s exactly what the numbers are showing.
Forecasts from Pollen.com show pollen numbers will be nearly off the charts in the Lehigh Valley in the coming days.
Using a scale that runs from 0-12, with levels from 9.7 to 12 being the highest, the Valley’s pollen counts by the weekend will be nearing the top of the charts, the forecasts show.
A level that high “tends to affect most individuals who suffer from allergies to the pollen types of the season. Symptoms may become more severe during days with high pollen levels,” the forecast states.
1 plant, 1 billion pollen grains
According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, about 15% of Americans have symptoms from an allergy to ragweed pollen.
Those symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe for people with seasonal allergies, and can also cause asthma symptoms for people with allergic asthma.
People will start to experience symptoms when ragweed plants release pollen into the air, and will continue those symptoms until the first frost kills the plant. On average, the Valley’s risk of frost is from Oct. 5 through May 4.
Across the region, ragweed season starts around August and may last six to 10 weeks or longer. In most areas of the U.S., it peaks in mid-September and can last through the beginning of October.
Each plant lives only one season, but one plant can produce up to 1 billion pollen grains.
The forecast is a factor
Pollen grains are so light, they can travel hundreds of miles in the air. That means people might be suffering even on days where the Lehigh Valley’s forecast isn’t that bad.
But there’s one thing that will help keep pollen counts down – lots of rain, which will wash out the pollen and make it less intense.
WATCH: BETHLEHEM LIVE WEATHER CAMERA
The Lehigh Valley’s forecast calls for rain in the coming days, including a marginal risk for excessive rainfall on Thursday.
A Canadian high should keep things that help pollen thrive – warm weather and humidity – to a minimum, and the National Weather Service says its guidance is hinting at additional rainfall chances next week.
