You can see it everywhere this spring — fine yellow green pollen particles coating cars, decks, lawn furniture, pool surfaces and floating in the air in gusts of wind.
“We have a nice layer of pollen over both of our cars,” Andrew Desbarats said. “We have two birch trees on either side of our driveway and they’re the culprits.”
The increase of pollen this year is more than an annoyance for allergy sufferers like Desbarats across York Region.
The Aurora resident is allergic to pollen from trees, especially birch, grass, and also suffers from dust mite allergies.
“I’ve been following the pollen counts and I’ve noticed the pollen counts are really high,” he said, adding he has been coping with medication.
Desbarats isn't the only one to notice the pollen dust coating the earth lately. In a local Newmarket Facebook group, people commented on how they've been hit with it everywhere.
"Isn’t nature great. I am beginning to like my green grey car colour in between sneezes" a user posted.
"Don't bother getting a car wash if you park outside either," another advised.
According to one expert there may be a weather-related reason for abundance of pollen this season.
“If we look at the spring in the Newmarket area and York Region, I think there are a couple of elements there that would support the idea that it might be a tough season for people with allergies,” said David Phillips, a senior climatologist with Environment Canada.
He said the warm weather and lack of rain have both played their part.
March, April and May all saw higher than normal temperatures that allowed plants to grow more quickly, according to Phillips.
There was also less frost than normal, with just nine days in April that saw frost compared to the 13 days the month typically sees.
“So frost wasn’t around to kill the growing that was taking place, but I think precipitation has been a big, big reason, too,” Phillips said.
The month of May has been “drought like” and there have been three weeks without a measurable amount of rain.
“That means that the pollen in the air, there’s nothing cleansing it, nothing washing the air out, nothing bringing that pollen down to the ground. People are breathing it, inhaling it, wheezing, gasping because of the pollen, Phillips said. “When you don’t cleanse it, you have an overabundance, like a heavy dose, like an overdose of pollen produced in the air.”
However, there could be a glimmer of optimism for allergy sufferers.
“The hope is that while the early season is an abundance of pollen, it may very well weaken the intensity of the season as you go on,” the climatologist said, however, he noted that’s just speculation and people will have to wait and see.
