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Just how bad is our pollen?

Short answer: About as bad as it gets

ROANOKE, Va. – If anyone you know struggles with allergies, I’m sure they’ve had a tough week. Pollen counts started high early in the week. Through the end of the week there is still plenty of pollen in the air.

Mid-April has been particularly bad for pollen

The pollen level ranges from zero to twelve. Both Sunday and Monday had pollen counts barely under twelve, and even Tuesday and Wednesday were still above ten.

Pollen gets a little better on Friday before shooting up again on Saturday

Pollen levels drop when showers move in since the rain can absorb some of the pollen in the air. Friday’s pollen count drops below ten before shooting right back up on Saturday thanks to the calm weather.

Avoiding the pollen is tough, but there are ways to reduce your exposure

Allergy medicine definitely helps, but if you want to take other steps to reduce pollen try to keep your windows closed and stay in during mornings where the pollen count is high. I know it can be tough to miss the nice weather, but afternoons are slightly better when dealing with pollen.