Beware: A Cedar Fever Epidemic Is Expected To Hit Texas This Winter And It Doesn’t Look Pretty
If you live in Central Texas or have spent any amount of time there in the winter, chances are you’re familiar with cedar – otherwise known as nasty little particles that invade your sinus cavity and make their home there until spring. This year is shaping up to be the worst we’ve seen in a while, and the epidemic could spread well beyond the Hill Country. Keep scrolling to find out why it’s supposed to be so bad.
Weather experts from KXAN have reported that cedar season could potentially last until early March as opposed to the usual mid-to-late February.
Why the brutal onslaught this year? The answer lies in the warm, wet fall we experienced in 2017. Unfortunately, it created the perfect environment for trees to produce a ridiculous amount of pollen.
At the peak of cedar season, it's normal to see between 5,000 and 10,000 cedar grains per cubic meter of air. This year, numbers are expected to be in the low 10,000s - so even slightly above the high end of the spectrum.
Even if you've never had a problem with cedar before, this year could leave you with an allergy. Since there's more pollen in the air, everyone's exposure is higher than ever before.
So where did all of this cedar come from anyway? It would appear that the epidemic began in the early 19th century, when livestock overgrazed on the grass and allowed the trees to thrive with no competition.
Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. She attended college in the Houston area and changed her major twice (psychology, computer science, and finally criminal justice) before taking a leap of faith and dropping out to pursue a career in freelance writing.
Today, Katie writes for the Texas and Arizona pages of OnlyInYourState.com and has never been more passionate about a job before. Outside of work, you can likely find her curled up on the sofa with a hot cup of coffee, watching a crime TV show or scary movie.
