It’s sneezy season

It’s time to stock up on Claritin and Flonaze: allergy season is here and getting longer and more intense in many parts of the country, according to the National Phenology Network, which uses the First Leaf and First Bloom Indices to track the official start of the season each year.

The First Leaf index is based on the leaf out of lilacs and honeysuckles, which are among the first plants to show their leaves in the spring; the First Bloom coincides with the actual blooming of the flowers on those same plants.

Per the indices:

• Spring arrived over a week ahead of schedule in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, and two weeks earlier than usual in several Midwestern states.
• In the eastern half, spring is coming sporadically, arriving later than the long-term average in some areas and earlier in others.
• It’s also variable in California and the Southwest, depending on location and rainfall levels, while the Pacific Northwest is one to two weeks late.

Big picture: Regardless of the official onset of the season, the Climate Prediction Center believes that much of the country will experience temps above their yearly average, resulting in an increase in pollen levels due to blossoming trees.

On a positive note…Parts of the US will gain three hours or more of sunlight between last Thursday’s spring equinox and the summer solstice on June 20.