| Hours |
|---|
Kennewick:
8am to noon
1pm to 5pm
Monday-Friday
Pasco:
8am to noon
1pm to 5pm
Monday-Friday
Prosser:
9am to 1pm
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Effective Monday, October 19, 2009
the Benton Franklin Health District’s Kennewick Office will be closed during the noon hour,
from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
|
|
Next Pollen season starts March 2008
Although there is some overlap between the seasons the following data was based on
information collected during the following time periods.
|
Trees
March, through June |
Grass
May, through July |
Weeds
July, through October |
|---|
| Absent: |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|---|
| Low: |
1 - 15 |
20 |
1 - 5 |
29 |
1 - 10 |
13 |
|---|
| Moderate: |
16 - 90 |
12 |
6 - 20 |
29 |
11 - 50 |
18 |
|---|
| High: |
91 - 599 |
14 |
21 - 50 |
6 |
51 - 90 |
3 |
|---|
| Very High: |
over 600 |
1 |
over 51 |
4 |
over 91 |
1 |
|---|
| Highlights from last Pollen Season |
1109 Ash on
April 22nd 2009 |
239 on
June 2nd 2009 |
118 Cocklebur on
August 25th 2009 |
|---|
| Record High counts |
1880 on
April 20th 2001 |
398 on
September 1st 2004 |
239 on
June 2nd 2009 |
|---|
| This color of column indicates the number of days
when pollen counts were in the listed range. |
|
Most significant Pollen producers in our area
|
|---|
Trees
March, through June
|
Grass
May, through July
|
Weeds
July, through October
|
|---|
- Pine
- Ash
- Mulberry
- Birch
- Willow
- Locust
- Alder
- Juniper
|
Not identified by type.
|
- Russian Thistle
- Pigweed
- SageBrush
- Nettle
|
* Pollen collected outside of their respective seasons were recorded but not figured
into the seasons data because they were considered to be miscellaneous pollen lingering
after those plants had finished pollinating.
|
Search through historical pollen data HERE
|
|---|
|
OR, see monthly graphs of;
| |
Line formatted Trend graph:
|
Bar Graphs:
|
If your allergies are making you feel 'not so jolly', consider this.
Christmas is a wonderful Holiday but if you're an allergy sufferer you may find yourself miserable
while enjoying certain activities like trimming the tree. You may have even decided to buy an
artificial tree hoping it would alleviate your problem only to find that it was nearly as bad as
the fresh tree you have enjoyed so much.
Although your allergy symptoms may coincide with the fresh tree you just brought in and decorated,
it may not be the tree that has produced your distress. The pollen from Evergreen trees have a thick
waxy outer coating and are not considered a significant allergen. In most cases it is not the pollen
from the tree itself, but from dust, molds and other contaminating pollens
that have collected on the branches.
To help alleviate the problems you experience make sure and hose off your tree outside,
let it dry thoroughly in the garage, and then bring it in to decorate and enjoy.
If you've already made the switch from a fresh cut tree to that artificial tree keep in mind that
artificial trees can be a potential source of other allergens. Molds and dust are common on
artificial trees due to improper storage. Use a damp cloth or mild soap and water to wash off your
artificial tree prior to decorating and you will find that your discomfort is kept to a minimum.
Christmas decorations should also be cleaned, as they have been stored and contain the same allergens.
If after cleaning your tree and decorations you still have problems, placing a small air cleaner
(HEPA Filter) next to the tree will help pull allergens out of the air and alleviate symptoms.
|
About the BFHD 
Benton Franklin Health District