The Midtown sampler runs daily, but the counts are typed up in batches. The most recent one published covers Monday, September 7. The missing days usually appear later.
At the last count
What kind
- TreesOak, birch, plane and the rest. Peaks March to June.Low2 per m³
- GrassMostly May to July, with a tail into the autumn.High46 per m³
- WeedsRagweed above all, from mid-August until the first frost.Moderate27 per m³
Which plants (Monday, September 7)
- Grass62%
- Mugwort12%
- Nettle6%
- Lambs Quarters3%
- Elm3%
- Moss spores3%
- unidentified weeds3%
Share of the grains counted that day, not a separate count for each plant.
Also counted upstate
Wednesday, September 2 · mostly mugwort
Thirty-odd miles north, and usually ahead of the city on tree pollen in spring. Useful as a warning, not as your number.
What this doesn’t tell you
One sampler on one roof in Midtown, collecting over a full 24 hours. It is not a reading for your block and not a reading for right now — wind, rain and the trees on your own street all move it. A low count citywide can still be a bad morning under a plane tree.
The sampler is read every day in season, but the figures are typed up in batches, so the last few days are often missing and fill in later. Counting stops altogether for the winter. Nothing here is medical advice.