After this winter’s record rainfall, Southern Nevadans can count on more than wildflowers being in bloom this spring. Pollen season is already here and if allergy symptoms haven’t tickled your nose yet, just wait another week or two.  

“This year’s spring allergy season is starting a little sooner than normal, but the good news for allergy sufferers is the sooner the season starts, the earlier it will be over,” said Monte Symmonds, senior monitoring technician with Clark County’s Department of Air Quality and Environmental Management. “We’re expecting higher pollen levels this year due to all the rain, but we won’t know if it’s one of the worst seasons ever for several weeks.”

Pollen from ash and cedar trees is airborne now and mulberry trees are expected to be in full bloom by the second week of March. Mulberry trees, in particular, can trigger hay fever and asthma symptoms including stuffy noses, runny eyes and coughing. The worst of the mulberry season will be over by the end of March just as olive trees start to bloom. Olive trees are another major source of aggravation for allergy sufferers, officials say.

Pollen counts from different trees and plants tend to start climbing in March. The season is usually over in May. This year air quality officials expect pollen season to end by late April.

“Our pollen readings started rising in mid-January this year, which is about two weeks early,” Symmonds said. “Mulberry and olive trees tend to produce the most pollen during allergy season, but grass, weeds and other types of trees also are culprits.”

From March through May, Air Quality staff double pollen collection efforts from once to twice a week at 10 monitoring stations located throughout the Las Vegas Valley. The samples are then processed in the department’s lab at the Clark County Government Center. During the spring season, pollen count reports are updated usually on Wednesdays and Fridays. Each report is posted on the county’s website at www.accessclarkcounty.com. From the home page, go to the Air Quality Department’s monitoring section. Pollen data is listed under “current conditions.”  Pollen counts and air quality reports also are recorded once a day, Monday through Friday, on the following telephone number: (702) 385-4613.