FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — Those allergies aren't going anywhere. For at least three more days, tree pollen levels are going to be high.
On Tuesday, the Forsyth County Office of Environment Assistance and Protection reported that the tree pollen rating will be high on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The grass pollen rating will be low Wednesday before jumping up to moderate for Thursday Friday. The weed pollen rating will be low.
The vast majority of that tree pollen, 67.4%, is from oak trees, according to the Forsyth County EAP.
Pollen.com, which is run by IQVIA, a North Carolina-based company specializing in healthcare data, identifies oak as severely allergenic.
"They shed considerable amounts of pollen, which presents a significant challenge to allergy sufferers," the site says on its overview of oak allergens. "The pollen is commonly allergenic, and may cause severe reactions."
What you may not know is that oak is one genus—Quercus—that includes a number of different tree species. Pollen.com lists out 50 species, and you can only get tested for allergies to less than half of those species.
The next highest pollen producer right now is pine at 17.2%, then willow at 5.3% and sycamore at 4.4%. There are plenty of other trees to factor in too, but they account for 2% or less of the pollen in the air: Maple, Mulberry, Beech, Birch, Dogwood, Elm and Sweet Gum
The Piedmont Triad is expecting some cold temperatures overnight, and the Forsyth County EAP expects that this could have an impact on the numbers.
"There is a chance for some frost in the pre-dawn hours tomorrow morning," the Forsyth County EAP reports. "This could suppress pollen output, especially for low lying plants such as grass."
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