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Real-time pollen data for Sacramento - updated daily.
Sacramento earned its nickname "City of Trees" with approximately 1 million trees across public and private property and a 19 percent canopy coverage that the city plans to expand to 35 percent by 2045. This extraordinary urban forest creates an equally extraordinary tree pollen season. Oak is the dominant tree allergen — valley oak and interior live oak are native to the region and produce heavy, long-season pollen from March through May, with some species extending into June. Oak pollen is considered moderately allergenic individually, but the sheer concentration of oaks throughout Sacramento makes it one of the most important clinical allergens in Northern California. Mulberry trees pollinate from March to April with small, highly plentiful pollen that causes significant respiratory complaints including asthma despite relatively brief season. Walnut is highly allergenic but heavy, meaning proximity matters — residents near walnut trees experience more intense symptoms. Ash trees contribute to spring tree pollen from March through April. Elm begins early, pollinating from February. Maple and box elder, birch, alder, cottonwood, sycamore, and pine all contribute to the spring tree pollen mix. The Sacramento region's pollen has been documented traveling up to 400 miles on wind currents.
Grass pollen is responsible for the largest share of allergy suffering in Sacramento. The 2025 AAFA report identified a "grass and weed pollen explosion" that catapulted Sacramento from the 94th-worst to the 23rd-worst city for allergies in a single year. Bermuda grass is the most prevalent grass species, producing substantial pollen across residential lawns, parks, and open spaces from late spring through summer. Ryegrass, Timothy grass, and bluegrass add to the grass pollen burden. Johnson grass from surrounding agricultural areas contributes additional counts. Native grasses and wild grasses in undeveloped areas and along the American and Sacramento River corridors produce more pollen than maintained lawns. Grass pollen grains are large and highly allergenic, and the flat Sacramento Valley allows them to travel long distances on wind. The grass pollen season has been extending in recent years due to warmer temperatures and later first frosts — Sacramento now averages 20 more freeze-free days per year compared to 1970.
Ragweed is Sacramento's dominant fall allergen, with pollen levels rising from August through October. Sagebrush from the surrounding foothills and Sierra Nevada approaches produces fine, lightweight pollen that desert winds carry into the Sacramento Valley. Mugwort, pigweed, Russian thistle, lamb's quarters, sheep sorrel, and English plantain contribute additional weed pollen during late summer and fall. Weed pollen contributed significantly to Sacramento's dramatic AAFA ranking surge — the unusually wet 2024 winter fueled rapid weed growth, producing higher volumes than seen in previous years. The traditionally clear boundaries between tree, grass, and weed pollen seasons now blur together as the growing season extends, meaning some Sacramento residents experience pollen-related symptoms nearly year-round.
Dust mites thrive year-round in Sacramento homes, particularly during months when windows are sealed against summer heat or winter cold. Mold spores increase in fall and winter as decomposing leaves and increased moisture create ideal growth conditions. The Sacramento and American River corridors add riparian moisture that supports mold growth in nearby neighborhoods. Indoor allergens become the primary triggers during winter when outdoor pollen is at its lowest. Pet dander is a significant year-round indoor allergen for Sacramento's large pet-owning population.
Severity: Low to Moderate
Elm trees begin pollinating as early as February, with alder and some early-blooming trees joining by late February. Sacramento's mild winters mean pollen season starts earlier than many residents expect. Winter rainfall directly determines the severity of the upcoming spring season — wet winters fuel heavier pollen production when trees bloom. Indoor allergens including dust mites and mold are the primary triggers during these months. Early preventive medication started in January or February helps keep allergy symptoms manageable before the spring peak arrives.
Severity: High to Severe
This is Sacramento's most intense allergy period. The City of Trees' 1 million trees release enormous pollen loads — oak from March through May, mulberry concentrated in March–April, walnut overlapping, and ash, maple, birch, sycamore, and pine all contributing simultaneously. By April, grass pollen begins overlapping with tree pollen, compounding the allergen burden. Warm, dry, windy Sacramento spring days scatter pollen across the flat valley floor and pollen from the capital region has been documented traveling hundreds of miles. Wet winters amplify this period dramatically, as trees and grasses flush with extra growth. The 2024 wet winter triggered the grass and weed pollen explosion that vaulted Sacramento 71 places in the AAFA rankings.
Severity: Moderate to High
Bermuda, ryegrass, Timothy, and bluegrass pollen peaks in early summer. Sacramento's dry heat — regularly exceeding 100 degrees — eventually suppresses grass pollen production by mid-to-late summer, providing some relief. However, wildfire smoke from Sierra Nevada and Northern California fires can devastate air quality during summer months, irritating airways and compounding allergic symptoms. Ozone pollution worsens during hot summer months. Indoor allergens become primary triggers as residents seal homes and run air conditioning continuously against the extreme heat.
Severity: Moderate to High
Ragweed pollen dominates fall, with sagebrush, mugwort, pigweed, and Russian thistle contributing additional weed allergens. The AAFA attributed Sacramento's ranking surge partly to dramatically higher fall weed pollen driven by wet weather fueling plant growth. As temperatures cool and moisture returns, mold from decomposing leaves and organic matter increases. The traditionally distinct boundaries between pollen seasons are blurring — warmer temperatures mean weed pollen starts earlier and lasts longer. Sacramento now averages 20 more freeze-free days than in 1970, extending the fall weed season significantly.
Severity: Low
December provides Sacramento's most significant outdoor allergy relief as most plants enter dormancy. However, indoor allergens including dust mites and mold persist in sealed, heated homes. The amount of December and January rainfall begins setting the stage for the following spring's pollen intensity. Late December may see the very earliest elm pollen beginning. This is the best time for deep cleaning, HVAC filter replacement, and preparing for the next allergy season.
Sacramento jumped from the 94th-worst to the 23rd-worst city for allergies in a single year according to the AAFA's 2025 Allergy Capitals report. The cause: a grass and weed pollen explosion fueled by wet 2024 weather, combined with a growing season that now extends 20 more freeze-free days compared to 1970. If your allergies feel worse than they used to, the data confirms it. Pollen seasons are starting earlier, lasting longer, and producing more pollen. What worked five years ago may no longer be sufficient — consider an allergy evaluation to update your treatment approach.
Sacramento's spring pollen severity is directly tied to winter rainfall. After a wet winter, trees and grasses grow more vigorously and produce heavier pollen when they bloom. Local allergists have observed that above-average rainfall years consistently produce the most severe allergy seasons. After a rainy winter, begin preventive medications in January or February rather than waiting for symptoms to appear in March. Getting ahead of the inflammation cascade is far more effective than trying to control symptoms once they've escalated.
Sacramento has approximately 1 million trees on public and private property, with the city planning to increase canopy coverage from 19 to 35 percent by 2045 — planting 25,000 new trees per year. While this is excellent for heat reduction and livability, it means tree pollen exposure will likely increase in coming decades. Your neighborhood's tree composition matters: areas like Land Park and East Sacramento with mature, dense canopies produce significantly more tree pollen than neighborhoods with sparser coverage. Identify which specific trees are near your home and workplace to understand your personal exposure pattern.
In Sacramento, grass pollen is released in the morning and rises with heat during the day, meaning early afternoon often has less grass pollen near ground level. Plan intense outdoor activities for after 2 PM during grass pollen season. Rainy days wash pollen from the air — take advantage of post-rain windows for outdoor activities. On warm, dry, windy days when pollen disperses most aggressively across the flat valley, limit outdoor exposure, keep car windows closed, and set ventilation to recirculate.
Sacramento sits downstream of Sierra Nevada and Northern California wildfire zones, and smoke regularly settles into the Sacramento Valley during summer and fall fire seasons. Wildfire smoke contains fine particulate matter that directly irritates airways, making existing allergies and asthma significantly worse. During smoke events, stay indoors, run HEPA air purifiers, and monitor AQI readings. If your allergies seem dramatically worse during late summer, wildfire smoke may be the compounding factor rather than pollen alone.
HeyAllergy offers telemedicine appointments with board-certified allergists and immunologists licensed in California. Book a virtual consultation from anywhere in Sacramento or the surrounding region — Roseville, Folsom, Elk Grove, or anywhere in the metro area — without the drive across town or the wait for a specialist opening. Have allergy blood tests ordered at a convenient local lab and receive your personalized treatment plan. HeyPak sublingual immunotherapy drops ship directly to your door and treat the root cause of allergies by building tolerance to your specific Sacramento triggers, from oak and Bermuda grass to ragweed and dust mites.
March through May is typically Sacramento's worst allergy period, when the City of Trees' million-plus trees release peak pollen loads simultaneously with the start of grass season. However, the AAFA's 2025 report documented a grass and weed pollen explosion that made fall increasingly severe. Sacramento's growing season now extends 20 more freeze-free days than in 1970, blurring traditional seasonal boundaries.
The most common allergens in Sacramento are oak tree pollen, Bermuda grass, ryegrass, ragweed, mulberry pollen, walnut pollen, sagebrush, mold spores, and dust mites. Grass pollen is the single largest contributor to allergy suffering in the region. A blood allergy test can identify your specific triggers from Sacramento's diverse urban forest and grassland allergens.
Sacramento jumped from the 94th-worst to the 23rd-worst city for allergies in the AAFA's 2025 report — a 71-place surge in a single year. The AAFA attributed this to a grass and weed pollen explosion worsened by unusually wet 2024 weather that fueled rapid plant growth. Warmer temperatures and later frosts have also extended the growing season, meaning pollen levels remain elevated for longer periods each year.
Yes. HeyAllergy provides telemedicine appointments with board-certified allergists and immunologists licensed in California. Book a virtual consultation from anywhere in the Sacramento metro area, have allergy blood tests ordered at a lab near you, and start a personalized treatment plan without visiting a clinic. No referral needed and no waitlist.
HeyPak sublingual immunotherapy uses customized liquid drops placed under your tongue daily. The drops contain precise doses of the specific allergens triggering your symptoms — whether oak, Bermuda grass, ragweed, walnut, mold, or dust mites. Over time, your immune system builds tolerance, reducing allergic reactions and medication dependence. Most patients notice improvement within 3 to 6 months.
HeyAllergy accepts Medicare and most major PPO health plans, including United Healthcare, Health Net, Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Shield, Cigna, Aetna, Humana, Oscar, and Tricare. Contact your insurance provider with Tax ID: 85-0834175 to confirm your specific telemedicine coverage.
Current trends suggest yes. The city plans to increase tree canopy from 19 to 35 percent by 2045, planting 25,000 new trees annually. While beneficial for heat and livability, more trees means more tree pollen. Climate data shows Sacramento averaging 20 more freeze-free days than in 1970, extending pollen seasons. And wet weather years — which may become more variable with climate change — trigger the grass and weed pollen explosions documented in the 2025 AAFA report.
HeyAllergy offers fast scheduling with no waitlist. Book a telemedicine appointment with a board-certified allergist and connect from home using your phone, tablet, or computer. No need to drive across the Sacramento metro or wait weeks for a specialist opening.
Sacramento is officially known as the City of Trees, and the title is well earned. Approximately 1 million trees grow on public and private property within city limits, creating a 19 percent canopy coverage that the city plans to nearly double to 35 percent by 2045 through planting 25,000 new trees annually. The Sacramento Tree Foundation has planted 1.5 million trees throughout the region since 1982. This magnificent urban forest provides shade, reduces heat island effects, absorbs air pollution, and makes Sacramento one of the most livable cities in California. It also makes Sacramento one of the most challenging cities in the country for allergy sufferers. Every spring, this million-tree canopy releases enormous quantities of oak, mulberry, walnut, ash, elm, maple, birch, and pine pollen simultaneously, creating a dense cloud of allergens that the flat Sacramento Valley holds close to the ground.
The 2025 AAFA Allergy Capitals report delivered a startling finding: Sacramento jumped from the 94th-worst city for allergies to the 23rd-worst in a single year — a 71-place surge that was among the most dramatic in the report's history. The AAFA identified the cause as a grass and weed pollen explosion, driven by unusually wet weather in 2024 that fueled rapid plant growth and dramatically higher pollen production. Sacramento was one of eight California cities that made significant jumps in the rankings. But Sacramento's surge was not just about one wet year. Climate data shows the region now averages 20 more freeze-free days compared to 1970, meaning the traditional boundaries between tree, grass, and weed pollen seasons are blurring together. Some Sacramento residents now experience pollen-related symptoms nearly year-round.
Sacramento sits at the northern end of California's Central Valley, where the Sacramento Valley meets the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The city is flanked by the Sierra Nevada foothills to the east and the Coast Ranges to the west, creating a broad valley that can trap air during temperature inversions. While Sacramento's air quality is significantly better than the southern San Joaquin Valley around Fresno and Bakersfield, the valley geography still concentrates pollen and pollutants during calm, warm days. The flat terrain allows pollen to travel remarkable distances — researchers have documented Sacramento-area pollen traveling up to 400 miles on wind currents. The Sacramento and American Rivers running through the city add riparian corridors where cottonwood, willow, and other water-loving trees grow densely, contributing both tree pollen and the moisture conditions that support mold growth in adjacent neighborhoods.
A defining feature of Sacramento's allergy landscape is how directly winter rainfall predicts the following spring and summer's pollen severity. Sacramento has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. In wet years, trees and grasses receive abundant water and respond with vigorous growth and heavier pollen production when they bloom. The 2024 wet winter was a textbook example: rapid plant growth across the Sacramento landscape produced volumes of both grass and weed pollen higher than seen in previous years, driving the dramatic AAFA ranking surge. Conversely, drought years may reduce pollen but worsen dust and air quality. This rain-pollen connection means Sacramento residents should treat winter weather forecasts as allergy season previews — a wet winter is a signal to start preventive medications weeks earlier than usual.
Sacramento's allergy challenges are intensifying due to measurable climate changes. The region now averages 20 more freeze-free days per year than in 1970, according to data cited in the AAFA report. This extended growing season means trees start pollinating earlier in winter, grasses continue later into summer, and weeds persist deeper into fall. The traditionally distinct pollen seasons now overlap, creating extended periods where multiple allergen types are airborne simultaneously. Air pollution, driven partly by urban heat island effects as more surfaces are paved, interacts with pollen to worsen allergic reactions. Wildfire smoke from Sierra Nevada and Northern California fires periodically settles into the Sacramento Valley during summer and fall, adding fine particulate matter that compounds respiratory symptoms for allergy and asthma sufferers. These converging trends suggest Sacramento's allergy burden will continue increasing.
HeyAllergy provides telemedicine allergy care accessible from anywhere in the Sacramento metropolitan area — whether you are in Midtown, East Sacramento, Natomas, Elk Grove, Roseville, Folsom, or any surrounding community. Board-certified allergists and immunologists licensed in California conduct virtual consultations, order allergy blood tests at convenient local labs, and create personalized treatment plans. For a city where allergies are measurably worsening year over year, identifying your specific triggers is more important than ever. HeyPak sublingual immunotherapy drops ship directly to your door and treat the root cause of allergies by gradually building your immune system's tolerance to Sacramento's oak, grass, ragweed, and other allergens. Unlike medications that only mask symptoms, HeyPak addresses why you react in the first place, offering long-term relief that becomes more effective over time.
