The University of Tulsa
2014-2015 Mountain Cedar Pollen Forecasts
Thank you for your interest in our pollen forecasting web site. We have stopped the Mountain Cedar forecasts for 2014-2015. The mountain cedar trees in most areas have stopped pollinating. Also the spring tree pollen season typically begins February in Texas and Oklahoma. We are seeing some elm, ash, maple and alder pollen being reported by other sampling stations. In Tulsa we are also picking up elm and maple. So it appears that the spring pollen season has started in several locations.
It is important to remember that mountain cedar and eastern red cedar are closely related species, and eastern red cedar begins pollinating in February. The pollen from these two species have been reported to cross react. As a result patients allergic to mountain cedar may continue experience symptoms for the next two months. However, eastern red cedar pollen is not considered as potent an allergen, so symptoms may be not as severe.
For information on other pollen types in the region, check our Spring Pollen pages.
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Previous Forecasts |
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LONG DISTANCE TRANSPORT
Pollen from mountain cedar populations in southern Oklahoma and Texas is capable of traveling long distances over short periods of time along prevailing winds. Pollen from populations in the Edwards Plateau can be carried to Dallas, Tulsa, or even further north. Research in our lab has focused on identifying the meteorological conditions that are associated with long distance transport. Generally, pollen is transported on days that are warm and sunny with southerly winds. Our forecasts have been developed to provide an alert for patients sensitive to mountain cedar pollen. We will be offering forecasts at least three days a week during December and January. Forecasts are developed using the HY-SPLIT trajectory model, which comes from NOAA's Air Resources Laboratory (ARL) in Silver Spring, Maryland. On days when pollen is forecast for a particular area, sensitive individuals may wish to limit outdoor activities or take other measures suggested by their physician.
Questions: Aerobiology Lab e-mail: pollen@utulsa.edu
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