COLORADO — It's allergy season here in Colorado, and this year seems to bring even higher levels of pollen. March was very dry and gave us warmer than average temperatures. This has allowed for trees to start blooming earlier and allowing for people's allergies to act up.
I spoke with board certified allergy and immunologist, Dr. Eric Caplan, and he tells me that, "We are on a pretty good course for a strong allergy season. Tree pollen is happening right now so I think buckle up and get ready."
The East Coast has had record levels of pollen this year and smashing a 35 year record. Pollen levels in Atlanta got up to almost 15,000 pollen grains per cubic meter.
Luckily, pollen levels don't look to get this bad here in Colorado, but with the weather being so unpredictable this time of year, things could always change.
Nationally, the worst places for pollen this year will be in the Pacific Northwest through the Central Plains and into Mississippi. Trees will begin to produce pollen when ground temperatures get between 40 and 50 degrees. For Colorado, this will usually happen around mid-to-early April.
Looking specifically at Colorado, the northern portion of the state towards Denver is where we can expect the highest pollen count. For southern Colorado, we are expected to see right at average or just above average amounts of pollen.
Dr. Caplan urges people to go and get tested to find out exactly what you are allergic to. He explains that many develop allergies over time and don't have to be born with them.
"Allergy testing is easy," said Dr. Caplan. "No needles, no shots, just a little piece of plastic on the back. We can test any age."
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