Pre-spring pollen perplexes some | News

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – It may still be early March, but anyone who has been sneezing a little more than usual, or whose car suddenly looks like it's changed colors, knows it's already that time of year again -- pollen season.

But Al Hight, of the New Hanover County Arboretum, says the yellow pollen isn't what causes people to sneeze or to become congested. Instead, the cause is a lot smaller, and one that most people can't see -- it stems from ragweed and grasses.

Hight says that the rainy conditions Wilmington has been experiencing lately can really help out when it comes to allergies, because all the water collects the pollen that's in the air, and brings it down to the ground.

When it's drier outside, that pollen tends to float around in the air, causing people to breathe more of it in.

"The pines are just beginning as we speak," said Hight. "If you look around now, you'll see candles on the pines. That's the new growth. And once you see the candles begin to show, you know the yellow pollen is not far behind."

But Hight says there is an upside to all the pollen. Because it's arrived earlier this year than previously, it won't last as late into spring as it usually does.

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