Record pollen counts across the U.S. Southeast caused by unusually warm weather

21 March 2012 (CNN) – Whether you’re walking along city streets or in a park or the country anywhere across the southeast the past couple of weeks, pollen counts have been off the charts. Pollen count is measured in a cubic-meter of air, and those are the parts per that cubic-meter. In Atlanta, the pollen count was over 9,000 Monday. Over 1,500 is considered extreme. 6,000 was the old record. The pollen is not just off the charts in Atlanta. As far north as Cape Girardeau is going to be one of the worst cities Tuesday, as far as pollen counts are concerned. All the way up to Chicago, they have high pollen counts with the hardwoods budding there. The record-breaking heat for the past couple of weeks and an incredibly warm winter and early spring is the cause of the explosion of pollen. Until rain moves into affected areas, pollen counts are expected to remain high.

Pollen Count Is So High, It’s Breaking Records In Southeast

21 March 2012 (WBIR) – Pollen is here early and at record highs this spring following our warm winter. It means more sneezing, itchy eyes and sniffles for allergy sufferers, and more business for car washes. You’ve probably noticed the yellow coating on cars and area streets. 3-Minute Magic Car Wash in Fountain City, Tennessee says all the pollen is blooming lots of business. They say spring is their busiest time of the year. “With everything blooming right now it’s just been crazy. I mean it seems like we have people come in because they wash it one day, then two days later it’s yellow again. I mean the trees are blooming, the flowers are blooming, and this warm weather is bringing everybody out,” said Josh Roberts. Allergist doctor Bob Overholt says the pollen counts in Knoxville yesterday were more than 3,000 grams per cubic meter. The normal count is 200. He says we don’t usually see this much pollen until mid-April. […]

Pollen here early at record high counts

By Andy Humbles, The Tennessean
21 March 2012  Pollen in Nashville’s air is at record levels according to according to the Vanderbilt Asthma, Sinus and Allergy Program because of a string of days with temperatures well above normal. Greater than 1,500 grains of pollen per cubic meter is considered very high, according to Dr. David Hagman, medical director of the Vanderbilt Asthma, Sinus and Allergy Program. After reaching a count of 3,200 last week, pollen measurements were 11,000 Tuesday morning and over 16,000 today, Hagman said. “When you have that much pollen, even people who aren’t allergic are irritated and it can bother your respiratory (condition),’’ Hagman said. “We think this is a record for total amount of pollen. Tree pollen, normally in the air this time of year, has been abundant without a cold snap in the warm temperatures recently in Middle Tennessee. There is also grass pollen in the air, which normally comes in May and early June, Hagman said. […]

Abnormally high pollen counts continue to rise

MARIETTA, Georgia, 20 March 2012 (WTW) – A warm winter is sending pollen counts soaring to record levels in Georgia. Officials say a record high pollen count of 9,369 particles of pollen per cubic meter was measured in metro Atlanta on Tuesday. That shattered Monday’s level of 8,164. This week’s pollen counts are well above the old record of 6,013, which dates to April 12, 1999. The pollen counts were measured by the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic. Dr. Stanley Fineman, an allergist with the clinic, tells The Marietta Daily Journal that doctors have never seen the level this high, and patients are having a lot more difficulties this year. He said health issues facing patients seen at the clinic include nasal congestion, sneezing and itching of the nose and eyes.

Georgia’s pollen count sets new record