A grain of pollen looks a lot like the Death Star. Those who suffer from seasonal allergies may joke that it’s not a coincidence.
Pollen spiked in early February in 2026. Experts told WRAL that it’s going to get worse.
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“We see a peak in tree and pine pollen usually in late March or early to mid-April,” said Shawn Taylor from the North Carolina Division of Air Quality.
Taylor's department tallies the pollen grains and they’re tallying a lot this season.
In late March, our pollen count is 1,500 grains per cubic meter. When it peaks, expect 2,000. The record? More than twice that - 5,000 grains per cubic meter in 2024.
Complicating things, most of North Carolina has been experiencing drought or abnormally dry conditions for months now. In February, Klaus Albertin with the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council said many locations across the state saw their driest six months on record.
“Pollen season is definitely getting longer," said Greg Paige, JC Raulston Arboretum horticulture director. "There’s a lot of really good info and data out there 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 the growing season. That in turn makes them 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 the early and long durations of the higher temperatures,” Paige said.
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 lasts into early summer.
“It’s just snakes, bees, fire ants," Paige said. "It’s a rite of passage to be in the south is the pollen.”
Our next best chance for rain to wash away some of the pollen comes on Friday evening.
