TAMPA, Fla. — Itchy and watery eyes coupled with congestion and sinus pain are seasonal allergies that a new study finds people can expect to stick around longer this year due to climate change.
The study by the nonprofit Climate Central looked at data from 1970 to 2022 and found the "freeze-free" season is, on average, 15 days longer across the United States. That means fewer days of freezing temps allow plants more time to grow, flower and release pollen.
“Climate Central analyzed 203 U.S. cities and took a look at the length of their freeze-free season. So basically, the time in spring when you have your last freezing temperature and the time when you have your first freezing temperature in the fall,” explained Climate Central Meteorologist Lauren Casey.
In Florida, freezing temperatures are much shorter than in much of the country, which Casey said contributes to more year-round allergens, but it doesn’t mean the Sunshine State isn’t included in the climate change findings.
“In Tallahassee, the freeze-free season lengthened 27 days, so nearly a month,” she explained.
Casey added that more precipitation leads to more moisture and another common allergen in Florida -- mold.
“Mold, of course, can cause a lot of allergies year-round, the dampness also dealing with higher precipitation rates also because of climate change,” she said.
The National Allergy Bureau website showed trees are causing the worst allergies in Tampa Bay as of the first week of April, with mold and weeds at moderate levels.
We asked Dr. Thomas Casale, an allergist and Director of the Division of Allergy, and Immunologist Joy McCann Culverhouse from the Clinical Research Center at the University of South Florida to weigh in on allergies in Tampa Bay.
“Our tree season is very bad and it starts earlier than, for example, in the Midwest,” he said. “So right now, we have so many different types of oak trees, so individual trees might only pollinate for a couple of weeks, but we have different types of oak trees, so the season tends to be long because we roll into different types of trees.”
Florida’s humidity also invites allergens indoors.
“Especially… cockroaches, right? Because they're all over the place, and that's a big issue along with house dust mites,” Casale said.
He said the best thing Floridians can do is keep humidity in their homes below 50% by closing windows and using air conditioning and dehumidifiers.
“And if you're outdoors for a prolonged period of time when you come in, shampoo your hair because the pollen sticks to your hair and can be a significant problem,” Casale advised. “Generally exercise at times when the pollen counts are lower so late in the evening, or very early morning because the pollen counts do change during the day as well.”
And Casey has advice for the future.
“Foremost, we need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and curb any additional warming to our planet,” she said.
Click here to learn more about growing seasons and lengths from the USDA.
