The University of Tulsa

Mountain Cedar Pollen Forecast

 

Date Issued: 11 February 2014

Mountain Cedar Location(s): Arbuckle Mountains, OK

Regional Weather: Tuesday, February 11 – TX/OK:  Cold weather will remain in the Southern Oklahoma and Texas region today with mostly cloudy and cloudy skies.  Early this morning with low temperatures there will be a chance of freezing drizzle and freezing rain across the Edwards Plateau and north in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.  A chance of snow will extend from northern Texas into Oklahoma.  The Oklahoma area will remain in the 20s and low 30s during the day with a northerly winds at 10 miles per hour.  To the south in Texas, there is a 30% chance of freezing rain and drizzle over the Edwards Plateau and a 50% chance in the edge communities from San Antonio along to I-35 corridor.  Winds will be from the northeast across the entire region, strong in the edge communities reaching 20 miles per hour and more moderate on the Plateau itself.  Overnight mostly to partly cloudy conditions will remain.  The chance of continued rain and freezing rain will remain across the region except for the far west and southwest areas of the Edwards Plateau and north in Oklahoma.  Low temperatures tonight will be in the low to mid-20s across the Plateau and in the low 30s along the I-35 corridor.  

Trajectory weather: Over the past week, the amount of Juniperus ashei pollen in the atmosphere has been dropping.  Over the last couple of days the surrounding communities, for the most part have recorded little if any of pollen.  The declining levels will also be impacted by the freezing rain and drizzle that often removes the cones from the trees.  With other spring pollen types in the atmosphere this is the signal to us that the Juniperus ashei Pollination season is essentially over.  There may be small amounts still released but they will be very localized and mixed with other pollen types that are making it into the atmosphere.  Also remember the Juniperus virginiana pollen season begins in February in the southern states. Although not quite as allergenic as Juniperus ashei, it will likely cause allergic reactions in those sensitive to Juniperus ashei pollen. This is the last forecast for the season.  Thank you for your interest in our work.

Prepared by: Estelle Levetin (Faculty of Biological Science, The University of Tulsa, 800 S. Tucker Dr., Tulsa, OK 74104) and Peter K Van de Water (Department of Earth and Environmental Science, California State University Fresno, 2576 East San Ramon Avenue, M/S ST24, Fresno CA 93740-8039). This forecast gives the anticipated future track of released Mountain Cedar pollen, weather conditions over the region and along the forecast pathway, and an estimated time of arrival for various metropolitan areas.

 

Questions: Aerobiology Lab e-mail: pollen@utulsa.edu

 

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