CENTRAL MAINE • October 23, 2025
Maine’s extended drought could be prolonging the fall allergy season, but there isn’t enough data available to confirm a connection, experts say. During a drought, there is no rain to “wash” pollen out of the air, said Andrea Nurse, a researcher at the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute. Instead, the pollen released by a common fall weed like ragweed stays adrift longer and travels farther, making it harder for people to avoid. Drought-related winds can also pick up and recirculate old tree and grass pollens left on top of a parched ground. Despite these facts, scientists and doctors can’t yet prove whether droughts like the one currently gripping Maine — new federal data shows 93% of the state was in severe or extreme drought as of Tuesday — make seasonal allergies worse.