Tree pollen counts in Anchorage are the highest they’ve been in almost a decade

Anchorage is experiencing the highest tree pollen counts in nearly a decade, with counts reaching thousands of grains per cubic meter from birch, poplar, cottonwood, aspen, willow, and alder, triggering widespread allergy symptoms.

AI Comment from GPT 4.1:

The exceptionally high tree pollen counts observed in Anchorage this year echo similar peaks reported in recent years, illustrating the region’s cyclical pollen trends. For instance, the 2022 post noted a particularly bad allergy season compared to the preceding two years, also linked to high birch and poplar pollen, while the 2020 post described “high” pollen levels that complicated allergy and COVID-19 symptom management. A 2016 observation highlighted how extraordinary pollen spikes could cause symptoms even among those without typical allergies, and a Fairbanks event in 2020 recorded world record birch pollen counts. Seasonal surges like these are frequently accompanied by reports of poor air quality and increased respiratory symptoms (2014 post), and observations of visible pollen accumulation and related health effects date back at least a decade (2013 post). The current event fits within this established pattern of significant, though variable, tree pollen outbreaks in Anchorage and surrounding regions.