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Housing and Climate Resource Library

Allergy Resources

This page is about asthma and allergy forecasts throughout the country. Allergens like pollen can infiltrate homes and affect indoor air quality.

Relevant variables for this topic include pollen count and allergy risk.

Datasets/Data Explorers

Asthma and Allergy Forecast
The Asthma and Allergy Forecast’s allergy index consists of weather factors and plant growth stages that increase the release and spread of pollen. High pollen count and/or spread is represented by a higher index value. The allergy index offers customized present-day pollen for any area.

  • Dataset owner: Allergy and Asthma Network.
  • Dataset update frequency/maintenance: Information was not located, but it is assumed that the data set is updated at least daily since there are daily forecasts.
  • Dataset jurisdictions included: The Asthma and Allergy Forecast covers the entire United States at the city and ZIP code levels.
  • Specific climate and housing variables:
    • Name of variable: Pollen count.
      • What the variable measures: Pollen counts are used to determine the amount of pollen in the air on any given day.
      • Variable source (if the dataset pulls from multiple sources): Weather Trends International.

The Weather Channel’s Allergy Tracker
The Weather Channel’s tracking tool follows the daily pollen count and the 15-day allergy forecast, which predicts the risk of allergy symptoms. The tracker also covers the breakdown of specific pollens, such as tree, grass, or ragweed pollen. It tracks the pollen level for each specific pollen and provides a three-day outlook for the worst offenders. The Allergy Tracker informs the public of days of increased pollen count and what the weather conditions are that increased those levels. The increase of pollen can affect the number of allergens in a home. The Allergy Tracker allows residents to make informed decisions on minimizing indoor activities such as ensuring windows are closed and AC units or HEPA purifiers are used to filter out allergens.

  • Dataset owner: The Weather Company.
  • Dataset update frequency/maintenance: Information was not located, but it is assumed that the data set is updated at least daily since there are daily forecasts.
  • Dataset jurisdictions included: The tracker covers the entire United States at the city and ZIP code levels.
  • Specific climate and housing variables: 
    • Name of variable: Pollen count.
      • What the variable measures: The pollen density in the air.
      • Variable source(s): The datasets collects data from multiple pollen observation providers in major city throughout the United States. The current list of pollen observation providers can be found on the Weather Channel’s Allergy Data Sources webpage.
    • Name of variable: Allergy risk.
      • What the variable measures: The risk of having allergy symptoms due to pollen.
      • Variable source(s): The datasets collects data from multiple pollen observation providers in major city throughout the United States. The current list of pollen observation providers can be found on the Weather Channel’s Allergy Data Sources webpage.

Latest page update: March 22, 2025.