Our Mission
PollenTracker is an independent information site built by a dad for his allergic kids. We answer one question every morning: “Should we go outside today?” We aggregate published pollen, air quality, and weather data and translate it into a clear YES / CAUTION / NO outdoor- activity recommendation for 800+ cities across the US and UK.
We are not a medical site. PollenTracker is a decision tool for everyday choices like “should we walk the kids to school today?” — closer to a weather forecast than to clinical guidance. The site does not diagnose, treat, or prescribe; it summarises publicly available environmental data and points to qualified professionals when those are the right resource.
Data Sources
All live data on PollenTracker comes from established public sources. We do not generate or estimate values ourselves.
| Signal | Source | Coverage | Refresh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pollen (tree / grass / weed) | Google Pollen API | US, UK, most EU | Daily, ~6 AM local |
| Air quality (AQI) | EPA AirNow (US), OpenWeather (UK) | Live monitoring stations | Hourly |
| Weather forecast | Open-Meteo | National weather services | Hourly |
| Allergy season patterns | AAFA Annual Allergy Capitals, National Allergy Bureau (NAB) historical data | 800+ US/UK cities | Annual review |
Each city page footer lists which specific source was used for today's reading, including fallback status when the primary source is unavailable.
Methodology: YES / CAUTION / NO
We combine pollen severity, air quality, and weather amplifiers (wind, rain) into a single daily recommendation. The full decision table — including the exact NAB-based pollen thresholds we use — is published transparently on our homepage reference card.
Boundaries of the model: the algorithm assumes a generally healthy adult with mild-to-moderate seasonal sensitivity. It does not model individual sensitivities (e.g. a specific reaction to one tree species), asthma, or other conditions. If you have a severe reaction risk or a specific health concern, please rely on a qualified healthcare professional — not a daily score from this site.
Pollen Count Thresholds
We use the categorization published by the National Allergy Bureau (NAB) — the same thresholds used by US pollen counting stations and mirrored by mainstream weather services. The full table (tree, grass, weed, mold) is on our pollen levels reference card.
Editorial Process
- Live data: Refreshed automatically by scheduled jobs. Pollen daily at 6 AM local; AQI and weather hourly.
- City coverage: Reviewed periodically based on user feedback, search-log analysis, and observed data anomalies. Misspelled slugs, missing state suffixes, and out-of-coverage areas are corrected as they surface.
- Long-form guides: Researched from primary public sources — AAFA Annual Allergy Capitals reports, NAB pollen-counting network data, and public-agency datasets (EPA, Met Office, NOAA). Every data point cited inline.
- Guide updates: Long-form guides are revisited whenever new authoritative reports are published or when reader feedback flags outdated information. Statistics are dated so freshness is verifiable.
Corrections Policy
Found a factual error or out-of-date claim? Email hello@pollentracker.app with the URL and the issue (subject line “Correction” helps it route faster). We aim to respond within a few business days and publicly note material corrections at the top of the affected article, including the date the correction was made.
What This Site Is NOT
PollenTracker is an environmental-data information site. It is not:
- A substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment
- A prescription, dosage, or symptom-management tool
- A replacement for emergency services if you experience a severe reaction
If you need medical guidance, please contact your usual healthcare provider. Reputable allergy-specific organisations you can read or refer to: AAFA (US), BSACI (UK). These are external resources we link to as references; they are not affiliated with PollenTracker.
Funding & Independence
PollenTracker is supported by display advertising. We do not sell user data. We currently do not accept paid placements in our city pages or editorial guides; if that ever changes, sponsored content will be clearly disclosed at the top of any affected page. Advertisers have no influence over our methodology or which sources we use.
Contact
Reach out at hello@pollentracker.app for general feedback, content corrections, or editorial inquiries. Use the subject line “Correction” for factual errors so they route to the top of the queue.
This page is reviewed annually or whenever our data sources or methodology change. See the date in the byline at the top for the most recent review.