So far this year — setting aside the January freezes — our weather has been dominated by breezy, dry cold fronts, each one stirring up cedar, aka Ashe juniper, pollen as it sweeps through.
Austin, TX
Cedar fever is happening in Central Texas but what does that mean?
Ashe juniper trees blow in the wind at Mary Moore Searight Metropolitan Park in Austin on Jan. 14, during a period of high cedar pollen concentration in the air.
We are in the middle of cedar fever season: The time of year when pollen from trees scientifically known as Juniperus ashei, fills the air, invades our sinuses and triggers allergy symptoms for many across Central Texas.
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CEDAR FEVER: Can you become immune to cedar pollen?
This isn’t surprising because the Edwards Plateau, or the Texas Hill Country, is home to 24 million acres of Ashe juniper trees, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. They’re spread across a broad swath of Texas, from the Red River to the Rio Grande, including the Hill Country west of Interstate 35, where junipers grow alongside live oaks.
Regions in Texas where juniper trees are at least 1 inch in diameter or larger. The highest concentration is over the Texas Hill Country.
These trees typically begin producing pollen in mid-December, triggered by chilly weather. When a cold front moves into the region, air pressure drops, humidity decreases, and the pollen cones on the trees open. Gusty winds behind the front then lift the fine, lightweight pollen, allowing it to float and travel for miles away from its original source. That’s why cedar can affect many Texans who don’t live near large concentrations of juniper trees.
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“Cedar fever is irritating to many due to the quantity and density of Ashe junipers in Central Texas that all produce pollen at the same time, which leads to a high concentration of pollen in the air,” said Robert Edmonson, Texas A&M Forest Service Biologist, and ISA Certified Arborist.
How can I manage cedar fever?
If you’re new to Texas or unfamiliar with “cedar fever,” it can be confusing because it coincides with the peak of cold and flu season. Cedar fever symptoms, such as fatigue, sore throat, runny nose, itchy eyes, partial loss of smell, and a slight increase in body temperature, closely resemble those of a cold. However, if your fever exceeds 101.5 degrees then pollen is not the cause, and you’d need to seek medical attention.
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Robert Butler, an ear, nose and throat specialist at Austin ENT Clinic, said there are several options for treating or managing cedar allergies:
- Minimize exposure to cedar pollen by traveling or staying indoors when possible.
- Use air filters and purifiers in your home and car to reduce pollen levels.
- Use saline rinses for sinus relief.
- Manage allergic reactions with antihistamines and nasal steroids.
- Explore allergy testing and immunotherapy to block reactions to pollen, mold, or dust.
When the immune system mistakenly identifies benign substances such as pollen as harmful invaders, the body releases chemicals like histamine that cause allergic reactions such as sneezing, a runny nose, itchy eyes and congestion.
“The old saying, ‘if it itches then it’s allergy’ is fairly accurate,” Butler said. “Viruses will wane over 10 days while allergies will usually worsen as a season progresses and (illness) peaks two to four weeks after it starts.”
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Are cedar trees good for Texas?
While Texans often grumble about the problems these trees cause, they do have their benefits. Mature trees provide shade, shelter, and food for wildlife, and early settlers relied on their strong, rot-resistant wood to build fences that could last 50 to 100 years. Spanish settlers also used the wood for roof beams in missions across Central Texas.
Beyond providing food and shelter, these trees have long served other purposes as well. Native American tribes used the limbs, leaves, and berries for medicinal purposes like treating anemia as a blood tonic, easing childbirth and postpartum pain, and helping relieve symptoms of the common cold, flu, and other ailments. The berries are still used today to flavor gin, as a pepper substitute in cooking, and as an essential oil ingredient in products like hand sanitizers.
Ashe juniper allergy season coincides with meteorological winter, starting in December and lasting into February.
These trees also play a significant role in land management because they can thrive in a wide range of environments, including overgrazed areas and rocky terrain. That adaptability is a big reason Ashe junipers have flourished and become one of the most widespread trees in the Texas Hill Country.
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How long does the season last?
Central Texans are in for at least three more weeks of cedar allergies before spring brings a whole new wave of pollen from budding and flowering trees.
2026 USA Triathlon Cross National Championships Full Results
Austin, Texas | April 18
Off Road/Cross Triathlon National Championship
1500m swim, 29k mountain bike, 10k run
Complete Results
Overall Male Andy Lee, 2:25:17
Overall Female Jennifer Schmidt, 3:08:37
M17-19 Michael Balbin, 3:07:57
M20-24 Ryan Chaudoin 2:39:03
M25-29 Adam Holomoucky, 2:46:30
M30-34 Chase Krivo, 2:41:52
M35-39 Andrzej Stadnik, 2:26:34
F35-39 Kate Hector, 3:44:19
M40-44 Kyle Grieser, 2:30:58
F40-44 Jessica Thiel, 3:31:57
M45-49 Trent Niemeyer, 2:36:28
F45-49 Jennifer Schmidt, 3:08:37
M50-54 Andy Lee, 2:25:17
F50-54 Erin Trail, 4:03:32
M55-59 Stephen Judice, 2:39:58
F55-59 Jeanne Hoffman, 3:25:37
M60-64 Mike Carter, 2:58:35
F60-64 Janet Soule, 3:13:05
M65-69 Cliff Millemann, 3:04:24
F65-69 Maureen Sanderson, 5:01:15
M70-74 Ken Gibson, 3:13:21
M75-79 Alan Moore, 3:50:08
Off Road/Cross Duathlon National Championship
5k run, 29k mountain bike, 10k run
Complete Results
Overall Male Jacob Hull, 2:19:49
Overall Female Tiffany Schwartz, 2:55:45
M30-34 Kyle Dow, 2:27:13
M35-39 Jacob Hull, 2:19:49
F35-39 Tiffany Schwartz, 2:55:45
M40-44 Derek Armer-Derner, 2:51:48
M50-54 Jay Moncel, 3:27:42
F50-54 Heather Anderson, 4:38:10
M55-59 CJ Stafford, 4:57:04
F55-59 Yun Saksena, 4:09:05
M60-64 Robb Reece, 3:24:41
M65-69 Brent Peacock, 2:50:00
M70-74 Mark Lindsey, 4:18:47
Off Road/Cross Triathlon Sprint National Championship
750m swim, 12k mountain bike, 5k run
Complete Results
Overall Male Tavish Quinn, 1:16:29
Overall Female Michelle Lingenfelser, 1:52:31
M14- C. Lockett, 1:35:47
M15-19 Tavish Quinn, 1:16:29
M35-39 Michael Schleckser, 1:50:47
M40-44 Justin Young, 1:45:18
F40-44 Laura Marinaro, 1:59:40
M45-49 Daniel Rossi, 1:24:42
F45-49 Nicole Morgan, 1:54:49
M50-54 Angel Martinez Ineriano, 1:31:35
F50-54 Michelle Lingenfelser, 1:52:31
M55-59 Stephen Schwarze, 1:25:14
M60-64 Curtis Miller, 1:40:54
F60-64 Nancy Hopf, 2:07:36
M65-69 Mark Drangsholt, 1:46:218
F65-69 Gunilla Gard, 2:10:15
M70-74 Steve Cole, 1:36:54
F70-74 Susan Griffin-Kaklikian, 1:57:23
Off Road/Cross Duathlon Sprint National Championship
2.5k run, 12k mountain bike, 5k run
Complete Results
Overall Male Saxby Stradinger 1:09:25
Overall Female Monica Doval, 1:38:49
Overall Clydesdale Trevor Horton, 2:23:56
Clydesdale 0-39 Trevor Horton, 2:23:56
Clydesdale 40-59 Bramer Owens, 1:47:40
M15-19 Callen Quinn, 1:34:58
M30-34 Brian Scheel, 1:43:43
M35-39 Saxby Stradinger 1:09:25
M40-44 Bryce Fluker, 1:11:52
F40-44 Morgan Aldridge, 1:39:23
M45-49 Michael Szermer, 1:34:03
F45-49 Monica Doval, 1:38:49
F50-54 Anonymous, 2:04:11
M55-59 Travis Wales, 1:19:48
F55-59 Lupe Nelson, 2:08:03
M60-64 Steve Smith, 1:14:18
F60-64 Kim Wagner, 2:23:41
M65-69 Joseph Swartz, 1:46:33
F65-69 Christine Knight, 1:57:14
M80-84 Bill Arnerich, 3:30:30
AUSTIN, Texas – This week’s rainfall across Central Texas could help to bring a much-needed boost to the region’s aquifers, which have been operating at dangerously low levels.
The backstory:
On Tuesday, the Austin area saw over an inch of rain while Georgetown received close to six inches, as the San Gabriel River rose over six feet throughout the day.
But the heavy downpour was a welcome sight for Shay Hlavaty, the communications and outreach manager at the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District.
Created by the state of Texas in 1987, the District oversees segments of the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers, stretching from South Austin to southern San Marcos.
In total, the portions of the aquifers they oversee provide water to around 100,000 people.
“Groundwater is a significant water source, you know. It’s kind of the unsung hero of Texas,” says Hlavaty.
But over the last few years, the region’s groundwater levels have been in decline.
“Since January 2022, we are missing over a year’s worth of rainfall. So, in the Austin area, we get about 32 to 34 inches a year. And so over that time, we have, you know, a 30-plus inch deficit,” says Hlavaty.
Since October, the District has been under a stage three exceptional drought. Those conditions are determined by two indicators: spring flow at Barton Springs and groundwater levels at the Lovelady Monitor Well.
If either of these locations drops below a drought threshold, the District could declare a more intense drought stage.
By the numbers:
Some of the latest data shows that Barton Springs isn’t performing as it needs to support the ongoing growth of the region.
“To put it into reference, the average since about 1978 at Barton springs is 60 CFS. That’s cubic feet per second. And one cubic foot is about the size of a beach ball, an average beach ball. So, 60 beach balls of water coming out every second from Barton Springs. Before this rainfall, we were closer to 12 CFS, so only 12 beach balls coming out every second, so that’s less than a quarter of average,” says Hlavaty.
That same data also shows that the Lovelady Well is 453.8 feet above mean sea level. That’s only 5 inches above the Stage 4 Emergency Response Threshold.
“This isn’t something that’s going to go away. Even if we busted this drought and get out of it, the next drought is going to be around the corner,” says Hlavaty.
Dig deeper:
But this week’s rain did provide a small boost, helping to prevent the district from potentially falling into a deeper stage of drought.
“So, we’re still in that stage three exceptional level, and this rainfall will help us stay out of that stage four emergency,” Hlavaty told FOX 7. “It’ll help stabilize, if not increase groundwater levels and spring flow.”
The total rainfall for the Austin area in April so far is 4.14 inches, well above the typical total average for the month, which is 2.42 inches. But that sort of above precipitation must continue if there is to be any chance of drought levels decreasing.
“We really need to have above average rainfall for months, if not years, to bust this drought,” says Hlavaty.
What you can do:
As May approaches, which typically brings the most rainfall throughout the year, Hlavaty urges people to cut back on water use when they can, especially watering their lawns, which can consume large amounts of drinking water.
And as Central Texas continues to see a boom in population, combined with hotter than average temperatures for February and March, conservation is as important as ever.
“It’s important to remember that a little bit of rain here, a little bit of rain there, isn’t going to best the drought. So, we all have to do our role to help conserve resources in the meantime,” says Hlavaty.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Marco Bitonel
U.S. District Judge Alan Albright, who before relocating to Austin, Texas, last year helped transform a tiny courthouse in Waco into a hub for much of the patent litigation in the United States, plans to resign, a person familiar with the matter said.
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