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Pollen counts on rise, and allergy season is getting longer

The growing season is getting longer in southern New England, and as a result, pollen season is too.

CONNECTICUT, USA — Spring is here, and pollen counts are on the rise.

First, the types of pollen vary during the growing season:

  1. Tree pollen: Peaking mid to late spring.
  2. Grass pollen: Peaking early to mid-summer.
  3. Weed pollen: Peaking late summer and lasting until the first killing freeze.
Credit: FOX61

On average, the time between the last spring freeze and the first fall freeze is getting longer. This is what's known as the growing season. Over the last five decades, it's lengthened by two to three weeks in Connecticut.

A longer growing season also means a longer allergy season, with tree pollens beginning earlier and ragweed lasting longer into the fall.

Credit: Climate Central

There obviously can be pollen before and after the growing season officially begins and temperatures are consistently above freezing, but this is the best way to track how our growing season is changing.

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Although this March has been mild, most of the warming has been on the back end of the warm season.

Check out this recent story about how this pollen season may play out.

Ryan Breton is a meteorologist at FOX61 News. He can be reached at rbreton@fox61.com. Follow him on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

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