Pollen boom, warmer spring leads to extended allergy season
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>> A LOOK AT THIS PICTURE.
SO THIS IS FROM THIS IS VIDEO
FROM OUR WRAL GARDENS PARKING
LOT. ALL THE POLLEN COVERING
PEOPLE'S VEHICLES, EVEN COATING
THE ROAD RIGHT THERE WALKING
AROUND AND I CAN SEE MY OWN
FOOTSTEPS. THE POLLEN COUNT
VERY HIGH FOR THE FIRST TIME
THIS SEASON. YOU'VE DEFINITELY
FELT IT. YOU'VE SEEN IT.
IT'S COVERAGE, BUT EVERYTHING
YOU KNOW WHERE ANIMALS, YELLOW
DOGS ARE. YELLOW.
>> WELL, KEYS OR YELLOW.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT GOOD RAIN
WILL CLEAN THEM. ALL OFFICERS
GO IS GOING TO GET WORSE,
THOUGH. IT'S GONNA STICK AROUND
FOR A WHILE LONGER THIS SEASON.
METEOROLOGIST KAT CAMPBELL
TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT WHY
NORTH CAROLINA IS GETTING HIT
SO HARD.
>> SOME GRAINS OF POLLEN LOOK
SIMILAR TO THE DEATH STAR AND
THOSE THAT SUFFER FROM SEASONAL
ALLERGIES WOULD ARGUE THAT'S
NOT A COINCIDENCE.
COLIN SPIKED IN EARLY FEBRUARY.
EXPERTS TELL US IT'S GOING TO
GET WORSE.
>> WE SEE A PEAK AND TREE AND
PINE POLLEN. USUALLY LATE MARCH
OR EARLY TO MID APRIL THAT SEAN
TAYLOR FROM THE STATE DIVISION
OF AIR QUALITY. THEY TALLY THE
POLLEN GRAINS AND THEY'RE
TELLING A LOT THIS SEASON.
>> RIGHT NOW OUR POLLEN COUNT
IS AROUND 1500 GRAINS PER CUBIC
METER WHEN IT PEAKS EXPECT
2000. THE RECORD WAS MORE THAN
5,000 GREENS PER CUBIC METER
AND 2024. GREG PAGES, THE
HORTICULTURE DIRECTOR AT THE
JC ARBORETUM POLLEN SEASON IS
DEFINITELY GETTING LONGER ON.
THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY GOOD
INFORMATION AND DATA OUT THERE
THAT THAT SUPPORTS THAT.
>> AND PART OF THE REASON THAT
IS OCCURRING IS CLIMATE CHANGE.
WE HAVE LONGER GROWING SEASONS,
IT GETS WARMER EARLIER AND
STAYS WARMER FOR LONGER PERIODS
OF TIME. THAT INCREASES HOW
PLANTS GROW AND REPRODUCE AND
KIND OF STRETCHES OUT THAT
GROWING SEASON AND THAT IN TURN
MAKES HIM PRODUCE MORE POLLEN.
GENERALLY WIND AND WARMTH MAKE
YELLOW DAYS IN NORTH CAROLINA.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THESE CRAZY
TEMPERATURE SWINGS? I WONDERED
WHAT MAKES POLLEN WORSE LONG
PERIODS OF HEAT OR SUDDEN
SPIKES OF HEAT. I WOULD SAY
IT'S THAT THOSE EARLY AND LONG
DURATIONS OF SOME OF THE HIGHER
TEMPERATURES. NOW THE GOOD NEWS
TREE POLLEN BACKS OFF IN LATE
APRIL AND MAY BUT DON'T GET
YOUR HOPES UP. BEWARE OF GRASS
POLLEN. THAT COMES NEXT.
AND LAST INTO EARLY SUMMER.
THIS TOO, SHALL PASS. IT'S IT'S
JUST, YOU KNOW, SNAKES BE FIRE
ANTS. YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S A
IT'S A RITE OF PASSAGE TO BE IN
THE SOUTH IS IS THE POLLEN.