Fall Allergy Season Begins: What To Expect In Virginia, DC

VIRGINIA — Watery eyes, scratchy throats and runny noses are making many folks miserable, and it's not because of a virus. The fall allergy season is underway in Virginia and DC, and only a hard frost will wipe out the pollen that torments allergy sufferers.

Allergies are a year-round malady, but are different in the fall than in other seasons. Ragweed is the big culprit, but mold and dust mites are also fall allergy triggers.

“What we see in the fall are allergies to ragweed,” WebMD chief medical officer Dr. John Whyte told AccuWeather. “It blooms between August and November, so we kind of see that peak pollen [occur in] mid- to late September.”

To a lesser extent, mold and dust mites are fall allergy triggers, according to WebMd. Mold spores multiply in wet spots outside, such as piles of damp leaves. The first use of the furnace in the fall sends dust mites idle for months swirling into the air.

Generally, allergy sufferers will breathe easier after the first freeze, when temperatures drop below 28 degrees Fahrenheit for a couple of hours. That won’t happen as early as it does across the eastern third of the country, according to AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alan Reppert.

“We will see the pollen levels really remain high through much of October and even into parts of early November, just due to the lack of temperatures dropping below freezing,” he said, noting that plants and weeds will continue to thrive until then.

Mid-Atlantic and Northeast: A weather pattern in late September and October is expected to bring rain that will bring ideal conditions for ragweed and mold. Ragweed pollen levels aren’t likely to spike in the East until rainfall increases in October, Reppert said.

According to AccuWeather’s current projections, the pollen season will end in late October in Virginia and D.C.

Check Your Daily Allergy Forecast

Numerous sites across the internet offer weekly or even daily allergy forecasts. An allergy tracker from pollen.com gives you a glimpse of the current allergy forecast according to city and metropolitan area.

Other popular allergy trackers include The Weather Channel and the National Allergy Bureau.

If Pollen Counts Are High

Here are a few other things you can do to head off an allergic reaction:

• Check the allergy forecast for your town.
• If high pollen counts are forecast, start taking allergy medications before your symptoms start.
• Close doors and windows at night or any other time when pollen counts are high.
• Avoid outdoor activity in the early morning when pollen counts are highest.

Below, AccuWeather gives its fall allergy forecast for other regions:

Midwest: The pollen season will be about average in the nation’s midsection, ending in late September in the northern parts of the region and in late November in the southern parts.

Northwest: Intense pollen levels are expected to kick up in the next couple of weeks across eastern Washington, eastern Oregon and through the northern Rockies with the arrival of seasonal rains.

Southwest and Plains: People who live from California to Texas and northward to North Dakota will likely be spared a severe allergy season, but the tradeoff is a prolonged drought that hinders the growth of pollen producing plants.

Gulf Coast: Tropical storms and hurricanes from the Gulf Coast and up the Eastern Seaboard may knock down pollen levels temporarily, but create ideal conditions for the mold spore growth.

Southeast: From eastern Texas east to Georgia and north to Florida, the pollen season is expected to be average, ending in late November.

• Related: 2022 Fall Foliage Peak Map: Use Interactive Tool To Plan Leaf Tours

The symptoms of allergies can mimic those of serious illnesses, including COVID-19, the flu or the common cold. Symptoms of all three include a runny nose, headache and or sore throat, “but itchiness typically means allergies,” Whyte told AccuWeather.

“Itchiness really is a big differentiator,” he said. “The other one is fever. You don't typically get a fever when you're suffering from allergies.”

Until the season ends, keep the windows closed, avoid extended periods of time outdoors, especially when it’s breezy, and use air filters in addition to maintaining a regular medication routine approved by an allergist, Whyte advised.