Very High Tree Pollen Levels Return- Cedar Fever

Highest Levels of Tree Pollen Detected in the United States

February 17, 2026

VERY HIGH RANGE:

ALLERGY ALERT. COMBINED TREE POLLEN COUNTS ARE AT VERY HIGH LEVELS on Tuesday, February 17th.

The alert is due to Cedar, Elm (Chinese Elm, also known as Lacebark Elm), and Maple pollen counts reaching the VERY HIGH range. 

This is an extreme exposure situation.  Severe symptoms may be expected in pollen-sensitive individuals. More seriously allergic people should be advised to stay indoors as much as possible. This is especially true if someone has pollen sensitivity or allergic bronchial asthma.  

Tree pollen, especially Cedar Tree pollen, affects millions of people across the United States during winter months (including an estimated 20% of the regional population), contributing to what is known as “Cedar Fever”.  Cedar fever is an allergic reaction to pollen from mountain cedar trees which thrive in regions like Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri. Unlike most seasonal allergies that peak in spring and summer, Cedar Fever occurs during the winter months, with pollen levels surging from late November to February—often reaching a peak in mid-January through February.  Cedar tree pollen is very small, and a single tree can produce billions of pollen grains in season.  The pollen grains can travel hundreds of miles in Oklahoma winds.

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The best way to combat these allergens is to stay in filtered air. OAAC’s board-certified allergists recommend avoiding allergy triggers as the best way to reduce symptoms. These triggers include:

• Limit outdoor activities during days with high pollen counts.
• Keep windows closed (at home or in the car) to keep pollen out.
• Don’t wear your outdoor work clothes in the house; they may have pollen on them.
• Take a shower after coming indoors. Otherwise, pollen in your hair may bother you all night.
• Leave shoes outside or just inside the door so that you don’t track pollen inside your home.
• Wash your hands often. Pollen can stick to your hands when you touch something outside or a pet if it has been outside.
• Wear a dust mask that people like carpenters use (found in hardware stores) when you need to do outdoor tasks such as raking leaves.
• Clean and replace furnace and air conditioner filters often. Using HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters is recommended, which remove at least 99 percent of pollen, as well as animal dander, dust, and other particles.

Some other options include medications like nasal sprays and antihistamines, but it needs to be the correct medicine and should be used continuously throughout the season.

Seasonal allergies (allergic rhinitis, commonly known as “hay fever”) cannot be diagnosed by history alone. A board-certified allergist can diagnose allergies and determine the specific triggers that cause them through simple tests. The allergists at OAAC evaluate and manage patients of all ages from the southwest region.  The main clinic is on the Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center campus.  For patient convenience, satellite offices are located in Edmond, Norman, and northwest Oklahoma City.

For more information about Cedar Fever, and steps to take to help minimize exposure and allergic reaction to cedar tree pollen, visit our website at: https://oklahomaallergy.com/blog/cedar-fever-what-you-need-to-know

For more information about allergic rhinitis (“hay fever”), visit: https://oklahomaallergy.com/services/allergic-rhinitis/

Daily Pollen Counts for Weed, Grass and Tree pollen, as well as Mold levels can be found at: https://oklahomaallergy.com/allergy-report/

Visit the OAAC website at www.oklahomaallergy.com to view the addresses for all Oklahoma Allergy and Asthma Clinic locations.  To make an initial appointment for an allergy, asthma, or immunology problem or to request more information, please call (405) 235-0040 or visit the website.

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