Cottonwood season in full swing in Minnesota, causing allergies to go into overdrive
MINNEAPOLIS — If it weren't for all the warm sunshine, you might mistake all of the drifting cottonwood in Minnesota for snowflakes.
"It's been beautiful weather so I didn't think it was snow, but it was kind of jarring," Jessalee Simonson said.
Video from Tuesday's Twins game at Target Field showing the cottonwood raining down spread on social media.
The cottonwood may have led Charles Barkley to make a joke about the Dallas Mavericks.
"I'm just gonna show them the weather in Minnesota — that snow and says, 'Y'all don't wanna go back to this, do you?'" Barkley said.
All jokes aside, the cottonwood is having an impact on some Minnesotans' daily lives, with pollen levels causing some allergies to go into overdrive.
"We were just walking around the lake and I was...my throat was dry and she was like, 'I think you just got a little cottonwood down the windpipe.' And I'm like, 'Yeah it feels like it might be a little bit of cottonwood.'" Steve Langlois said.
According to Allergy Insider, keeping your windows closed is a good way to keep pollen out. Washing your clothes and yourself after any time outside will help keep pollen out of your bed, which you should also wash regularly in the pollenating months.
"I just shut the windows, turn the fans on. We take honey 'cause that's supposed to help with allergies actually, but that's about it," Claire Barczak said.
Stronger winds could whip up more of that pollen, too.
