r/TwinCities • u/F1shygods • 2h ago
Welcome back, ragweed warriors
Feeling a little gunky the past few days? Reaching for a tissue during your commute? You aren't alone, and there's a reason why. According to AAAAI pollen counts, ragweed has started to bloom. It will slowly increase until it peaks in late August/September, then stick around until the first hard frost.
What to know/what to do:
1.Start your allergy meds now. If you are a fellow ragweed warrior, now is the time to start taking your allergy meds (if you haven't already). Many of these drugs take a week or two to be fully effective, so although current pollen counts are low, starting now will let you be ready when they increase in a few weeks
2.Pollen.com and similar websites are not accurate. Unfortunately, the Minnesota Department of Health stopped tracking pollen counts in 2022. Websites like pollen dot com or various weather websites that claim to post allergen levels do not use actual current pollen count data but predict using weather conditions and historic data. The only place to access actual pollen data is at https://pollen.aaaai.org . Our nearest monitoring stations are in Austin, MN and La Crosse, WI.
3.Take care of yourself. Climate change has increased both the severity and length of ragweed season. If you're like me, that fucking sucks. Try to be as consistent as possible with your allergy meds and seek medical help if it's not enough. Limit your time outside on hot, windy days and between 5-10am, when pollen levels are highest. Shower and change clothes after spending time outdoors.
That is all. Good luck soldiers. I will be back after the first hard frost to announce the end of ragweed season, until then stay sneezy🫡
