HARTFORD, Conn. — Spring allergy season is getting off to a pretty quick start here in southern New England.
Just in time, a new report from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America ranks Hartford on the list of "allergy capitals," or where allergy season can be most challenging for those who are affected.
Dr. John James, Medical Specialist and Spokesperson for the AAFA, said the ranking is based on the local spring and fall pollen counts, the use of allergy medications, and the number of board-certified allergy and asthma specialists in those areas.
The top 10 Allergy Capitals for 2022 are:
- Scranton, Pennsylvania
- Wichita, Kansas
- McAllen, Texas
- Richmond, Virginia
- San Antonio, Texas
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Hartford, Connecticut
- Buffalo, New York
- New Haven, Connecticut
- Albany, New York
Tree pollen comes first, emerging in February and lasting through May.
If you haven't felt yours yet, now is the time to consider starting allergy medications and other methods for treatment.
"Taking them before the season gets up to its peak, yes, they can be very useful," said Dr. James.
Grass pollens occur during the summer, followed by ragweed from late July or August up until the first killing frost.
In our warming climate, there are signs allergy season in southern New England is being stretched.
"More and more data has been published to show that with climate change, the length of the allergy season is longer, and you may have overlap of the allergy seasons (tree, grass, weed) and the amount of pollen being released is higher," said Dr. James.
Data from Climate Central backs that up. The allergy season extended by 20 days on average since the 1970s in Connecticut.
Ryan Breton is a meteorologist at FOX61 News. He can be reached at rbreton@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
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