Spring has sprung up and many of you have been sunbathing and taking advantage of all that North Carolina Spring has to offer.
Laura Ingalls Wilder once said, “Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sun are hard to beat.”
These “old” features of spring may need to be slightly adapted for North Carolinians, because if there’s one thing that’s true in spring, it’s pollen.
According to Dr. Robert Bardon, a professor of forest and environmental resources at NC State University, pollen is needed for the production of pine seeds that grow to become pines.
Pine pollen season is a reminder of the importance of pine to our state, which supports the forest industry, which has a $ 32.8 billion impact on North Carolina’s economy.
Bardon also mentioned that the general pine pollen season can last for weeks. The amount of pine pollen in the atmosphere tends to be higher in the early hours of the morning on hot, dry, windy days and lower during periods of cold and humidity.
Factors contributing to pollen season
Climate Central, an independent organization of prominent scientists and journalists that investigates and reports on the facts about our climate change, shows that our average daily spring temperature has risen more than 3 degrees since 1970.
While this may not seem too shocking, increasing our average daily temperature can increase the growing season which in turn increases the length of our pollen season. You may notice that a minor change in one aspect of our climate, such as temperature, can have a wavy effect for an entire season, if not for a prolonged duration.
Climate Central also noted that the impacts of climate change on seasonal allergies not only change the start time or length of the pollen season, but also intensify it.
The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere directly affects pollen concentrations because it can stimulate plant growth. Many people may suffer from allergies as a minor inconvenience, but seasonal allergies can have serious consequences and decrease the quality of life of people with respiratory problems such as asthma. With a longer pollen season and high pollen concentrations, asthma and allergy reactions can become even more severe.
What can we expect, then?
When we analyze the forecast for the next five days, we see that our temperatures will remain above normal and that dry conditions will continue at least until Friday afternoon. This means that our pollen levels will continue to be high, so keep that in mind if tree pollen affects your health.
Luckily, the scattered rain will return this weekend and this will not only keep some of this pollen out of the air, but also from the trees.
The WRAL team of meteorologists is dedicated to learning more about climate change and its impact on our climate in North Carolina.
As always, WRAL is the season to go through the last few pollen levels this spring and when inclement weather can affect your plans.
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