Wondering How Pollen Will Affect You Each Day? We’ve Got You!

So many sources of allergies — and especially pollen — are influenced by weather. That’s how we turn our existing science into an answer on whether your allergies will be better or worse each day, so you can make more informed decisions.

"Forecasting allergies is kind of an art in looking at what has happened in the past and understanding what's going to happen in the future, as with any forecast,” Dennis O’Donnell, lead product manager and meteorologist at The Weather Company, said.

Using The Weather Channel App Allergy Hub, you can get simple information to help you better plan your day and navigate the challenges of sneezes, runny noses and itchy eyes.

How We Do It

A lot of indoor allergens, like mold and dust mites, rely upon humidity in the air or blowing wind.

With pollen, plants react to warmer temperatures, especially if it's been warm consistently over time. And if you go from a very wet period directly into a warm, dry period, you’ll see an explosion in pollen.

“You want to look at humidity, wind speed and temperature. If you're going to see a dry, warm period, with high winds, you're likely going to experience a higher allergy impact," O’Donnell explained. “If you see those three conditions, be sure you're taking your allergy medication."

Pollen levels can be measured in “pollen count,” which is collected by taking out a microscope and literally counting the amount of pollen that's in the air at a particular time.

The weather also affects how pollen is transmitted. Wind conditions will tell you if the pollen is going to stay in one spot or if it is going to get blown around.

(MORE: How Wind, Rain And Temperature Fuel Your Allergy Season)

We also take into account some historical trends, like whether it was a warm or cold winter.

"The accuracy of our allergy hub is good,” O’Donnell said. “It is really going back to The Weather Channel being the most accurate weather forecaster — because weather has such an impact on the allergy forecast."

How You Use It

All of this sciency stuff and data is then translated into something straight to the point for you.

You’ll see an allergy level: a value from none to low to moderate to high to very high. 

“And it's very simple to understand when you need to take action,” O’Donnell said.

(MORE: What Doctors Want You To Know About Your Allergies)

The Weather Channel App takes into account all of these factors by using measurements across the world. That data is then fed into a model that can tell us how allergies will impact people in a particular zip code at that time — updated daily. 

It also breaks down specific types of pollen. If you know what pollen impacts you the most, you can zone in on that individual pollen for even deeper, more personalized information.

“Understanding the impact of particular pollen on your health will really go a long way in helping you plan for your day-to-day activities and improve the quality of your life," O’Donnell said.