October allergy and pollen forecast for Austin, Central Texas

Woman sneezing (Getty Images)

Posted: Oct 5, 2022 / 05:38 PM CDT

Updated: Oct 6, 2022 / 02:59 PM CDT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — If you’ve been feeling a little rough lately, it could be one of five major pollens that are typically around in October and causing allergies to flare.

According to the Allergy and Asthma Center of Georgetown, typically in October the pollen types we need to worry about are fall elm, grass, pigweed, ragweed and mold.

Fall elm

Typically Fall (cedar) Elm starts showing up in late July, peaks during late August and in September and then disappears by early November. Usually in October, Fall Elm pollen is on the decline. The last time we reported “Fall Elm” in the air was Sept. 19, and it was at a low level.

Grass

Grass pollen is long lasting, beginning early in March and lasting through mid-November. Usually in October, grass pollen is toward the tail-end of the season. As of this article, grass pollen was still being reported.

Pigweed

One of the “weed” pollens, although not exactly lined up with the ragweed season. Pigweed typically begins early-to-mid July and ends in early November. Usually in October, pigweed is past peek and on the decline. Pigweed was last reported (at a low level) as recently as Sept. 30 as of this story.

Ragweed

One of the more problematic pollens, ragweed typically begins a little later than pigweed, closer to mid-July. Ragweed can last as long as late November. Usually in October, ragweed can be near peak early in the month, with a gradual drop off later in the month. Ragweed is still being reported daily as of early October.

Mold

Mold is a year-round allergen and will spike with rainfall. October is typically our second-wettest month of the year. When the weather gets wetter, the mold pollen count goes higher.