WASHINGTON — Before your morning coffee, you've probably let out a few sneezes. It's like the itchy eyes and sneezing wakes you up before the alarm clock does if you are an allergy sufferer.
The last few weeks for allergy sufferers in D.C. have been downright brutal.
A quick analysis of Pollen and Spores reports from the United States Army Centralized Allergen Extract Laboratory shows that the tree pollen count was high for the majority of the April reports.
Experts say the third and fourth weeks of April are typically the worst for tree pollen allergies in D.C. Metro.
"April is our most prolific pollen month when our most abundant tree pollen producers are flowering and releasing enormous amounts of pollen into the air," said Susan Kosisky, Chief Microbiologist and Director of Aerobiological Reporting and Evaluation at US Army Centralized Allergen Extract Lab.
"As the spring weather sets in and our region experiences fewer periods of colder, more variable temps and precipitation, there is no doubt there will be plenty of pollen for everyone," Kosisky said.
Trees that are known to cause allergens in the D.C. area include birch, cedar, juniper, oak, mulberry, hickory, spruce and ash.
Overall this month grass counts have been low, and the majority of the time weeds have been absent and mold has been low.