Georgia is frequently cited as one of the most challenging places in the United States for allergy sufferers due to its mild climate and long growing season. This extended period means that “pollen season” is not a single event but a succession of three distinct, overlapping phases. These phases span nearly ten months of the year. Understanding these phases and their specific end points is the first step toward finding relief.
The Three Major Pollen Seasons in Georgia
The annual Georgia pollen cycle begins with the earliest and most visually striking phase, the spring tree pollen season. This period generally runs from late February through late May, dominating the air with a powdery yellow film that coats every outdoor surface. While the visible Pine pollen is often blamed for allergy symptoms, its large grain size typically makes it less allergenic than the smaller, invisible particles released by Oak, Sweetgum, and Birch trees.
Following the dissipation of the tree allergens, the second major phase is ushered in by grass pollen during the late spring and early summer. Grasses like Bermuda and Johnson grass begin to release their allergens in late April and peak significantly throughout June. This season is generally shorter than the others but can cause intense symptoms for sensitive individuals, including severe eye irritation and respiratory distress.
The final, and most persistent, phase of the pollen year belongs to the weeds, starting in late summer and continuing into the fall. This period is dominated by Ragweed, a plant that produces a highly potent, lightweight pollen that can travel for hundreds of miles on the wind. Other weed pollens, such as those from Pigweed and Lamb’s Quarters, also contribute to the allergen load from August until the season is finally shut down by cold weather.
Seasonal Timing and Specific End Dates for Each Pollen Type
The tree pollen season typically wraps up by late May or the first week of June across most of Georgia. The bulk of the major tree species, particularly the highly allergenic Oaks, complete their reproductive cycle by this time. This marks a significant drop in the overall pollen count, offering a temporary reprieve for many allergy sufferers.
The grass pollen season that follows usually experiences a sharp decline during the deep summer, with its counts falling significantly from mid-July through August. The intense heat and periods of drought that characterize Georgia’s mid-summer climate naturally suppress the growth and pollination of many grasses. Once the grass allergens recede, the focus shifts entirely to the final, and most protracted, source of seasonal misery.
The true end of the entire pollen season is marked by the eradication of hardy weed pollen, especially Ragweed. Pollen production does not cease until the plants are destroyed by a hard, killing frost (28 degrees Fahrenheit or lower for at least two hours). This definitive event most often occurs in late October or, more commonly, in November for the majority of the state.
Factors That Affect the Final End of Pollen Season
The final end date is never fixed and is subject to significant climate variability from year to year. Warmer temperatures can extend the active growing season for weeds, delaying the first hard frost and pushing the Ragweed season further into late autumn. Long-term trends show that rising global temperatures are causing the pollen season to begin earlier and last longer, making the final end date increasingly unpredictable.
Geographic location within the state also introduces a major variable in determining when the pollen season concludes. North Georgia, with its higher elevations and cooler climate, typically experiences its first hard frost earlier than the central and southern parts of the state. This means the final end of the pollen season can arrive in North Georgia toward the end of October or early November.
Conversely, the warmer, more humid climate of Coastal and South Georgia allows Ragweed and other late-season weeds to persist for a longer duration. In these southern areas, the pollen season may not arrive until well into late November or even early December in particularly mild years.