Spring has sprung. The birds are chirping, the air is getting warmer, and plants are sprouting, budding — and soon-to-be flowering.
And a lot of people are or will be sneezing because of the pollen in the air.
Springtime means allergy season for many people. It also means the start of Allergy Asthma Immunology of Rochester's daily pollen reports, something the clinic has provided at no cost to the public for years.
Allergy, Asthma, Immunology of Rochester operates the only pollen counting station between Syracuse and Olean. The daily updates are meant to help those who are sensitive to pollen track their triggers.
The counts can be found on the clinic's Facebook page. The most recent report shows that tree pollen is moderate, with maples dominating.
Right now, grass and weed pollen are absent.
The Rochester region ranks among the worst places in the United States for allergies and asthma due to our significant pollen levels, according to the clinic.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has listed Rochester in its “Allergy Capitals” reports several times, including in its 2025 publication.
The foundation also issues annual “Asthma Capitals” reports, and Rochester was listed in the 2024 publication as the second-most-challenging city to live in for people with asthma. It attributed the finding partly to longer and more intense allergy seasons brought on by climate change.
