Rainfall this weekend and what it means for your allergies

We've been under dry conditions here in Michiana for quite a while now, with June seeing almost 2" below the amount of rainfall that would be considered normal.

Even this past Saturday, we were only a bit more than 2" for July rain totals with was only about 0.2" more than average and yearly totals were still about 2.5" below what would be expected by this time in the year.

After a rainy weekend, we have been fortunate enough to see all these values improve, with South Bend seeing more than 1.25" yesterday alone. Now, for the month of July, South Bend has seen 3.5" of rainfall which is nearly 1.5" greater than where we would expect to be at this point in the month.

The average rainfall amount for the entire month of July is 3.78", only 0.28" more than where we already are even with 2 weeks still left in the month. This weekend has also brought our yearly rainfall totals closer to where they should be, only about 1.25" under the normal value.

Even with more rainfall, we are still drier than what we should and drought is still in place for much of Michiana. It is expected that drought will stay in place for the entire summer, but conditions don't look to be worsening significantly for Michiana.

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, rain this weekend may have been your friend.

Rain showers can help to "wash" pollen out of the air. This was definitely the case yesterday as pollen counts and allergy reports were very low.

Today, dry conditions will allow the pollen count to increase again with allergy reports expected to become worse throughout this week.

Although rain is great for those with tree pollen allergies, rainfall can actually be bad news for other allergens such as grasses, weeds, dust, and mold. As rain hits the ground, it can break up clumps of pollen and allow for allergens to be dispersed more efficiently. This is especially the case with heavy rainfall and stronger winds in thunderstorms.

With this in mind and considering the thunderstorms that rolled through Michiana yesterday, it is no surprise that we're expecting grass and weed allergens to be the most impactful to those with seasonal allergies this week.

Grass pollen especially is looking to be the most impactful this week with a severe rating followed by plantain and nettle weeds, both with moderate ratings.