Tree pollen starting to spike - Washington, DC.

WashingtonPost

It's been a while since we've had to think about pollen. But it's that time again.

Writes microbiologist Susan Kosisky in Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Daily Pollen Report: If anyone has been sneezing and sniffing of late...there is good cause. Before the rain yesterday and probably due to the warmer weather on Sunday, we had a large amount of cedar/cyp/juniper pollen in the air. Not so much this morning with the cooler temperatures.... The tree count is HIGH at 567.41 gr/cubic meter with cedar/cyp/jun pollen comprising 539.94 grains/cubic meter of the total count. Alder, birch, elm, maple and pine were also observed. It is not unusual for cedar/cyp/jun pollen to been seen in such high amounts during the latter part of February-early March. In 2002, February 20th had a count for cedar of 905.87 grains/cubic meter. Highest daily count for cedar in early March was 1334 grains/cubic meter on March 7, 2005.