Atlanta’s sneezing season arrived with a vengeance Wednesday as the city’s pollen count jumped tenfold, soaring from Tuesday’s count of 178 to 1,793 particles of pollen per cubic meter of air.
John Manasso, a spokesman for Atlanta Allergy & Asthma, the clinic that keeps tabs on metro Atlanta’s pollen count, said it is impossible to pinpoint exactly when the count will spike because each year has its own unique variables such as this year’s late February snow and ice.
Last year, the count stayed below 1,000 throughout March before peaking at 4,054 on April 11.
In 2013, the count peaked at 8,024, also on April 11, but in 2012, the March 20 count of 9,367 was the high mark for the year as well as being the highest pollen count ever recorded in Atlanta.
The previous high this year was 232 on March 11.
Juniper, oak, elm and cottonwood were among the trees contributing to Wednesday’s count.
The forecast does offer some temporary relief in the form of air-cleansing rain.
Channel 2 meteorologist Karen Minton said there’s a 100 percent chance of rain Thursday, diminishing to 40 percent Friday and 20 to 30 percent over the weekend.
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