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Wolfville Nova Scotia Area Experimental Pollen and Spore Count and Forecast
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Forecast for Wolfville area, Nova Scotia
(Updated daily Monday to Friday by 3:00pm ADT)
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Issued at 9-10-2007 14:53 ADT
Pollen forecast for Monday evening to Tuesday afternoon.
The main pollen types to be expected are: ragweed, other weeds, grass, and other pollen
Type: | This Afternoon 12pm to 6pm | Evening 6pm to 12am | Overnight 12am to 6am | Tomorrow Morning 6am to 12pm |
Tree: | None | None | None | None |
Weed: | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Grass: | Low | None | None | Low |
Spore*: | Low | Moderate | High | High |
Other Pollen: | Low | Low | None | None |
How to interpret the forecast chart: Each category is a prediction of the pollen levels that will occur in and around Wolfville, Nova Scotia in the next twenty-four hours. There are four categories: LOW, MODERATE, HIGH, and VERY HIGH. Categories are based on the threshold values given below. Each prediction is made using weather forecasts from Environment Canada.
*Although a prediction of spore levels is offered here, it should be added that spore levels are difficult to predict on an hourly basis.
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Count data for Wolfville, Nova Scotia
(Updated daily Monday to Friday by 8:00pm ADT)
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Observed from Thursday evening to Friday afternoon.
Type: | Yesterday Afternoon 12pm to 6pm | Yesterday Evening 6pm to 12am | Overnight 12am to 6pm | This Morning |
Grass: | None | None | None | 10 |
Weeds: | 5 | 5 | 57 | 48 |
Ragweed: | None | 5 | 28 | 38 |
Spores: | 3486 | 7143 | 4500 | 4547 |
(Concentration in grains/m3)
Forecaster Notes
This is the data collected from noon Thurs. Sept. 6 to noon Friday Sept. 7. The forecast is for noon Mon. Sept. 10 to noon Tues. Sept. 11.
Here in Wolfville the species diversity is quite high due to our proximity to the Irving Gardens, the Irving Gardens Acadian forest, and to agriculturally utilized, and forested lands, and extensive coastal, estuarine and marsh habitats.
Due to the humidity and moisture this summer plant spores, and fugal and mould spore counts have been higher than average.
Classification of Ranges
The following thresholds are those used by the National Allergy Bureau of the United States.
They are based on statistical percentiles and do not necessarily reflect the possible severity of health effects.
They are however an indication of health effects.
- Absent - No symptoms.
- Low - Extremely sensitive individuals will experience symptoms.
- Moderate - Some sensitive individuals will experience symptoms.
- High - Most sensitive individuals will experience symptoms.
- Very High - Almost all sensitive individuals will experience symptoms, severity of symptoms may increase.
* Standards from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology / National Allergy Bureau
| Tree | Weed | Grass | Spore |
Absent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Low | >0-14 | >0-9 | > 0-4 | >1 - 6499 |
Moderate | 15 - 89 | 10 - 49 | 5 - 19 | 6500 - 12999 |
High | 90 - 1499 | 50 - 499 | 20 - 199 | 13000 - 49999 |
Very High | > 1500 | > 500 | > 200 | > 50000 |
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Updates for 2007
This year the project is based at the KC Irving Environmental Science Centre on the campus of Acadia University, in Wolfville, NS. The service is supported by Environment Canada, the KC Irving Environmental Science Centre, the
Department of Earth and Environmental Services at Acadia University, Bishop's University, Cape Breton University, and is sponsored by the Lung Association of Nova Scotia.
Three samplers became operational in Nova Scotia the first week of May. The daily forecast is now based on pollen counts from the sampler on the Acadia University campus. The forecast time has been moved up and the forecast will be posted about noon, ADT, Monday to Friday (holidays excepted). A sampler remains at its same location on the Saint Mary's University campus in Halifax, and general updates on the pollen counts in Halifax will be posted once or twice a week. The third sampler remains on the campus of Cape Breton University, on the eastern side of Sydney.
One purpose of this project is to relate changes in weather conditions with the changes in pollen and spore concentrations. We are looking at coastal versus inland vegetation variations, and also a latitudinal vegetation gradient between Halifax and Sydney In addition, this year we have partnered with a team at Bishops University in Sherbrooke, Quebec, and monitoring is taking place there, too. This will allow us to look at differences in pollen counts between the predominately Acadian forest in Nova Scotia and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands forest in southwestern Quebec. The temporal differential in the pollen seasons of each major deciduous tree species is also being monitored. We now have 8 years of data for the Halifax site and this data is being analysed for longer-term trends in pollen seasons and vegetation changes.
Contact Us
Inquiries about the pollen and spore count or forecast can be directed to:
- Dr. Ann Miller at the KC Irving Environmental Science Centre, Acadia University
- For tips on living healthy during the pollen season, please contact the Lung Association of Nova Scotia at (902) 443-8141 or toll-free in Nova Scotia at 1-888-566-LUNG.
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