When is pollen worst in Minneapolis?

The late-summer ragweed run is the headline in Minneapolis: weed pollen peaks Aug–Nov, the longest and most punishing window of the year here. Tree pollen comes first (Apr–Jun) and grass bridges the gap (Jun–Aug), but it's the ragweed stretch that floors most sufferers. Currently, ragweed pollen is in season.

What's in the air in Minneapolis right now?

In September, ragweed pollen is in season in Minneapolis, peaking Aug–Nov. On Minneapolis's continental Plains calendar the typical September level is High, led by ragweed pollen — a seasonal estimate, not a live count.

Is tree or grass pollen higher in Minneapolis in spring?

In spring, tree pollen leads in Minneapolis — trees pollinate Apr–Jun, ahead of grass (Jun–Aug). The handoff is the tail of the tree window: tree counts taper as grass climbs, so an early-spring flare is more likely tree pollen and a late-spring one more likely grass.

What makes Minneapolis's pollen season distinctive?

Minneapolis sits in the continental Plains zone, which means the country's worst ragweed — the continental Plains run a long, severe late-summer-into-fall weed season on top of the usual tree and grass peaks. That shapes when symptoms hit and which allergen to watch.

How do I reduce pollen exposure in Minneapolis?

Through Minneapolis's peak windows (tree Apr–Jun, grass Jun–Aug, ragweed Aug–Nov), keep windows shut and run AC on recirculate; counts run highest on dry, warm, windy mornings, so push outdoor activity to late afternoon or just after rain, which clears pollen from the air. A HEPA purifier indoors, a saline rinse after being outside, showering before bed, and starting antihistamines a week or two before your worst local window all measurably cut symptoms.

When does the next pollen season start in Minneapolis?

Tree pollen is next in Minneapolis: it opens around week 14 (early April), peaks around week 20, and runs about 91 days.

What is the allergy forecast in Minneapolis today?

With no live reading for Minneapolis today, its allergy forecast is the seasonal estimate above: a typical September level of High, led by ragweed pollen.

Minneapolis, Minnesota Pollen Count & Allergy Forecast

Minneapolis pollen count and allergy forecast — tree, grass, and ragweed seasons and what’s pollinating now

Minneapolis, MN · Pollen season

In September, ragweed pollen is in season in Minneapolis, peaking Aug–Nov.

Based on the seasonal pollen calendar for this region.

Minneapolis on the WeatherStory Allergy Index

Minneapolis ranks #54 of 100 U.S. metros on the WeatherStory Allergy Index, with a modeled load index of 30 and a 244-day combined pollen season — its heaviest load is ragweed pollen, running 122 days.

#54of 100

Load index: 30
Combined season: 244 days
Heaviest load: Ragweed · 122 days

See the full 100 worst U.S. cities for pollen — a modeled seasonal load ranking (see methodology).

Typical now — Septemberseasonal estimate, not a live reading

Ragweed pollen typically leads in Minneapolis in September, at an estimated High level.

Pollen by type this season

TreeOut of seasonpeaks Apr–Jun
GrassOut of seasonpeaks Jun–Aug
Weed / RagweedIn seasonpeaks Aug–Nov

What pollinates near Minneapolis

The tree, grass, and weed species that drive Minneapolis’s pollen seasons, with each plant’s typical peak.

Trees

Oak Quercuspeaks April–May
Elm Ulmuspeaks March–April
Cottonwood Populus deltoidespeaks April–May
Hackberry Celtis occidentalispeaks April–May
Ash Fraxinuspeaks April–May

Grasses

Kentucky bluegrass Poa pratensispeaks May–June
Timothy Phleum pratensepeaks June–July
Smooth brome Bromus inermispeaks May–July
Johnson grass Sorghum halepensepeaks June–August

Weeds

Giant ragweed Ambrosia trifidapeaks August–October
Common ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifoliapeaks August–October
Pigweed Amaranthuspeaks August–September
Kochia Bassia scopariapeaks August–September
Lamb's quarters Chenopodium albumpeaks August–September

Species are the region’s common wind-pollinated plants; peak months are a seasonal estimate, not a measured count — see methodology.

Minneapolis’s allergy year

Typical month-by-month pollen intensity for Minneapolis, tuned to its latitude and climate region — darker means higher typical counts. The highlighted column is the current month.

JFMAMJJASOND

TreeApr–Jun

GrassJun–Aug

RagweedAug–Nov

How Minneapolis compares to the U.S. average

Each colored bar is Minneapolis’s typical season against the national-average window (grey). The offset is the per-city timing shift.

Tree~3 wks later

Grass~3 wks later

Ragweedabout average

“U.S. average” is the textbook tree Mar–May, grass May–Jul, ragweed Aug–Oct calendar. The shift is a phenology estimate (Hopkins’ bioclimatic law), not a measured count — see methodology.

How Minneapolis’s pollen count works

The calendar above is tuned to Minneapolis’s continental Plains climate, not a national average: tree pollen runs from week 14 (early April) to week 26 (late June), grass from week 23 (early June) to week 35 (late August), and ragweed from week 31 (early August) to week 48 (late November) here — a 244-day combined pollen season. Those windows are why ragweed pollen is the one in season in Minneapolis right now.

No live count is wired up for Minneapolis today, so the seasonal calendar above is your guide to which allergen is in season.

For the science behind Minneapolis’s pollen seasons — how counts are measured, when each type peaks, and what the numbers mean — see the pollen count scale and the other pollen & allergy guides.

Frequently asked

When is pollen worst in Minneapolis?: The late-summer ragweed run is the headline in Minneapolis: weed pollen peaks Aug–Nov, the longest and most punishing window of the year here. Tree pollen comes first (Apr–Jun) and grass bridges the gap (Jun–Aug), but it's the ragweed stretch that floors most sufferers. Currently, ragweed pollen is in season.
What's in the air in Minneapolis right now?: In September, ragweed pollen is in season in Minneapolis, peaking Aug–Nov. On Minneapolis's continental Plains calendar the typical September level is High, led by ragweed pollen — a seasonal estimate, not a live count.
Is tree or grass pollen higher in Minneapolis in spring?: In spring, tree pollen leads in Minneapolis — trees pollinate Apr–Jun, ahead of grass (Jun–Aug). The handoff is the tail of the tree window: tree counts taper as grass climbs, so an early-spring flare is more likely tree pollen and a late-spring one more likely grass.
What makes Minneapolis's pollen season distinctive?: Minneapolis sits in the continental Plains zone, which means the country's worst ragweed — the continental Plains run a long, severe late-summer-into-fall weed season on top of the usual tree and grass peaks. That shapes when symptoms hit and which allergen to watch.
How do I reduce pollen exposure in Minneapolis?: Through Minneapolis's peak windows (tree Apr–Jun, grass Jun–Aug, ragweed Aug–Nov), keep windows shut and run AC on recirculate; counts run highest on dry, warm, windy mornings, so push outdoor activity to late afternoon or just after rain, which clears pollen from the air. A HEPA purifier indoors, a saline rinse after being outside, showering before bed, and starting antihistamines a week or two before your worst local window all measurably cut symptoms.
When does the next pollen season start in Minneapolis?: Tree pollen is next in Minneapolis: it opens around week 14 (early April), peaks around week 20, and runs about 91 days.
What is the allergy forecast in Minneapolis today?: With no live reading for Minneapolis today, its allergy forecast is the seasonal estimate above: a typical September level of High, led by ragweed pollen.