Lots of Spruce (Picea glauca) Pollen and Early

Observation: The spruce pollen has really kicked off at our house, with clouds of yellow pollen blowing off trees. On Sunday morning it was covering my car and other surfaces outside. Because we don't have air conditioning (like most Alaskans) in our house, windows have been open during the record heat. So naturally, the interior of the house is also full of pollen, a thin layer can be seen on the floor near windows. Everyone, even people like myself who rarely experience allergies, are feeling the effects, burning eyes, runny nose, and cough. I can't imagine what it must be like for people with bad pollen allergies!

John Henry posted an observation from Unalakleet on April 29th about the early willow pollen season. It was early here in Anchorage too, the willow and then birch and now the spruce. The last time I recall the spruce pollen this bad was in 2013. I photographed pollen on my car and posted them on LEO Network. That was on June 13, 2013. A full month later then this year!!

Comment: On the 27th of April in the Airport Heights area of Anchorage, pollen count measured 708 ppm, a couple of days later on the 29th of April the index dropped to 186 ppm. On May 3rd and 6th the index leveled off for a couple of days to 210 ppm, then dropped to 67 ppm on 10th of May. Four days later on Saturday 14th of May the index had climbed back up to 728 ppm. The predominate contributing species in that particlar location was birch (Betula neoalaskana) pollen with a mix of alder (Alnus viridis) and some cottonwood (Populus balsamnifera) and aspen (Populus tremuloides). AAICA Anchorage Pollen & Air Quality. M. Tcheripanoff

Resources: See calendar of Anchorage pollen seasons (below) and other resources provided by Aurametrix. For more information on pollen and allergies see the Municipality of Anchorage, Environmental Health Services. See also Anchorage air pollen levels available at the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Clinic of Alaska (AAICA).