Spring allergy season hits South Texas with a surge in pollen from multiple trees.
TEXAS, USA — If your car has been covered in yellow dust lately, you’re not alone. Spring allergy season is ramping up, and the weather is playing a big role.
We’re moving out of cedar season and into spring oak season. But it’s not just one allergen affecting us during this season.
Dr. Edward Brooks, an allergist-immunologist at UT Health San Antonio, says that there are multiple trees pollinating at the same time.
“It’s not just the oak… There’s elm and mesquite and all the other trees,” said Brooks. “They all team up to get us in the springtime.”
Here’s where the weather comes in. When we get dry, breezy days, that pollen spreads fast. Wind carries pollen across the region, making symptoms worse even if you’re not near the source.
Rain can help but only temporarily.
“Rain plays a big role in it… It’ll knock the pollen out of the sky and we’ll have a few days of relief,” said Brooks. “After rain, that’s when the mold comes up.”
So while we do get brief breaks, the reality here in South Texas is that there is really no true off-season.
“That’s probably one of the reasons San Antonio gets a reputation, because we have year-round pollens,” Brooks said.
The most intense pollen year round happens in the winter with Mountain Cedar. But there are years where Oak is more prolific.
“It varies between mountain cedar season and sometimes the oak beats it out, and the oak starts now,” Brooks said.
Summer allergies depends mainly on grass pollen and fall brings ragweed and pigweed. There’s only a brief break before cedar returns, making pollen a constant cycle year round.