Seeing yellow dust? Hamilton trees are exploding with pollen and allergy sufferers are feeling it

To Hamilton allergy sufferers, it certainly feels like pollen-ageddon."

For most of May, yellow dust blanketed cars, sidewalks, furniture and the insides of unlucky, sneeze-ravaged nostrils. Spruce and pine trees literally exploded pollen into visible dust clouds.

In cities like Ottawa and Montreal, pollen counts have rocketed to record heights. Surely Hamilton is suffering the same pollen-y plight?

With the exception of one tree species, the answer is no, according to local pollen counts.

But if it makes you feel better, there are good reasons why Hamilton allergy sufferers feel like this year is worse than usual for pollen.

Hamilton data collected by Aerobiology Research Laboratories - the company that provides forecasts to the Weather Network - show total pollen counts since mid-March at 9,423 grains per cubic metre.

That's actually on par with last year (9,980 grains per cubic metre), and notably lower than the five-year high for the same time period in 2017 (16,806 grains per cubic metre), said director Daniel Coates.

The number of daily pollen warnings is also down - although we started catching up with a series of very high" forecasts this week.

By contrast, Montreal pollen counts of 26,291 grains per cubic metre have blown away last year's early season totals of 5,588.

Hamilton isn't breaking any records this year, but did see horrendous" birch pollen levels in late April and early May that spiked well above the very high" daily threshold of 200 grains per cubic metre, Coates said.

The other allergy-inducing tree culprits so far this year include oak, mulberry and cedar, with pollen counts for other conifers now on the rise, he said.

Worth noting: the company's local air sampling station, which uses a rotating sticky rod to catch particles, is located in west Hamilton. So tree pollen and sneeze counts could certainly be different in other parts of the city.

Regardless, there is a perception among some allergy sufferers that spring 2021 is a virtual pollen-ageddon," said Dr. Mariam Hanna, a pediatric allergist and immunologist with McMaster University who has patients across the GTA.

Aside from regional variations in pollen counts, there are several good reasons for that perception, including a dry May, an early start to pollen production, poor air quality and COVID paranoia about the perils of public sneezing.

Last year, Hanna said pandemic lockdowns and uncertainty convinced more people to stay indoors" during tree pollen season. Now everyone is out and determined to be in nature," she said - but also acutely aware of how COVID-wary strangers respond to sniffly symptoms.

Warm weather also helped kick-start earlier pollen production in some areas this year.

Researchers are now linking longer allergy seasons to climate change, Hanna noted, since warmer weather and more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere promote longer growing seasons and more pollen circulation.

Pollen awareness was also magnified this month by the weather, suggested Barbara McKean, head of education for the Royal Botanical Gardens.

A temperature inversion that trapped pollution in the lower city last week spurred a rare air-quality warning two days in a row - and that was a double-whammy" for allergy sufferers. When that happens, the pollen is locked in at ground level as well," said McKean.

Before Wednesday's showers, Hamilton had also seen just 10 millimetres of rain in May. That has left pollen wafting in the air longer, building up in hard-to-miss yellow layers on cars, sidewalks - and even indoors, if you keep your windows open like McKean. You can feel it on the floor, walking in bare feet," she said, laughing.

You can also knock excess pollen out of a spruce or pine tree, if you're not paying attention.

Ali Beltrame learned that lesson the hard way after accidentally walking into one of the hair-trigger trees while mowing her Waterdown lawn.

I just hit it with my shoulder and (the pollen) exploded all over me. I was absolutely coated in the stuff," marvelled Beltrame, who posted a video warning on Twitter. I'm not allergic, luckily - but I did sneeze, because there was just so much of it."

Matthew Van Dongen is a Hamilton-based reporter covering transportation for The Spectator. Reach him via email: mvandongen@thespec.com