Pollen Season In Napa Valley: What To Expect (2024)

Weather

Allergy and hay fever sufferers can expect more grass pollen this year thanks to several atmospheric rivers. Here's when it will start.

Posted Mon, Apr 17, 2023 at 2:49 pm PT

Pollen.com, operated by the health and wellness company IQVIA, says almost a quarter of the country is experiencing medium to high levels of pollen from trees, typically the first and most prominent pollen producers in the spring. Grass pollen kicks up in the late spring and early summer, and toward the end of summer and early fall, weed pollen takes over.

Some 50 million Americans are affected by seasonal allergies.

Pollen season starts 20 days earlier and can last about 10 days longer, and there’s 21 percent more pollen in the air than three decades ago, according to research from the Agriculture Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The higher pollen counts and longer pollen seasons are the result of climate change, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Weather conditions such as rain, wind and temperature greatly affect the severity of pollen seasons, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alan Reppert said in the private weather company’s recent spring 2023 spring allergy forecast.

Here’s a look at what to expect in Northern California and when to expect it, according to AccuWeather:

Tree pollen: Late March peak, average pollen levels
Grass pollen: Mid-May peak, near-normal levels
Weed pollen: August peak, average pollen levels

See AccuWeather for daily pollen levels for Napa Valley. Monday, tree pollen was moderate in the Napa Valley while other pollens including ragweed and grass were low.

In general, tree pollen is expected to be the worst in the Pacific Northwest through early May. The Southeast saw tree pollen reaching peak levels in March. Other areas of the country will see normal levels of tree pollen, and it will be lower than normal in Southwestern and Northern Plains states.

The dry season in the West starts in May and continues through September. In years past, drought conditions typically lead to a lower-than-average season for this region. Due to several atmospheric rivers that brought significant amounts of rain and erased the drought across much of the West, Reppert said grass pollen levels are expected to be near normal this year.

Allergy sufferers in a large swath of the country extending from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast, including Mid-Atlantic states, should brace for a nasty grass pollen season, Reppert said. The Northwest could see high grass pollen levels as well, while -people living in areas from the Southwest through the Northern Plains can expect a lower-than-average grass pollen season. Everyone else, including people in the Northeast, can expect an average grass pollen season.

Reppert said weed pollen will be a problem along the entire East Coast as an increase in moisture and temperatures creates ideal conditions for weeds to thrive. It’s shaping up to be a bad season in the interior West, too. The Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and eastern Nebraska should see below-average weed pollen, while everyone else can expect an average season.

“It’s really going to increase here as we get into September, and any tropical moisture that may come into the area or any storms that come in over the plains and from the north, that could really help to increase any of the weed pollen that we’re seeing,” he said.

The A To Z Of Allergies

Confused by seasonal allergy lingo? Here are a few keywords to watch for when you find yourself with a case of spring sniffles:

• Allergen: A substance that triggers an allergic reaction in a person who’s sensitive to it.
• Antihistamine: A medication that prevents symptoms such as congestion, sneezing, and itchy, runny nose.
• Decongestant: Medication that shrinks swollen nasal tissues to relieve symptoms such as swelling, congestion and mucus.
• Hay fever: An allergic reaction to pollen from ragweed, grasses and other plants whose pollen spreads on the wind.
• Neti pot: A device that looks like a small teapot, a neti pot is used for nasal irrigation. In other words, it’s used to flush out mucus and other debris from your nose and sinuses to improve breathing.
• Pollen and mold count: A measure of allergen amounts in the air. The counts are usually reported for mold spores and three types of pollen: grasses, trees, and weeds.

Preventing Allergic Reactions

Here are some suggestions to nip allergies in the literal bud, according to the Mayo Clinic:

• When it’s dry and windy outside, stay indoors. The best time to be outdoors is after a good rain has cleared pollen from the air.
• DeThis is your chance to convince someone else to mow the lawn, pull weeds and do other gardening chores that stir up allergens. If you have to be outside, wear a pollen mask.
• If you need to be outside when the pollen counts are high, change your clothes — the pollen can stick to them — and rinse the pollen from your skin and hair
• Don't hang laundry outside to dry because pollen can attach to sheets and towels, as well.

If Pollen Counts Are High

Here are a few other things you can do to head off an allergic reaction:

• Check the allergy forecast for your town.
• If high pollen counts are forecast, start taking allergy medications before your symptoms start.
• Close doors and windows at night or any other time when pollen counts are high.
• Avoid outdoor activity in the early morning when pollen counts are highest.