I live on the north side, a short bike ride from Broad Ripple. My dog, Maple, loves the Monon Trail, and so do I. But spring and late summer? My eyes say no. So I started tracking the pollen count in Indy like it’s my job. I tried a bunch of tools, made a few mistakes, and found a rhythm that actually works.
Here’s the thing: the numbers helped, but my body told the truth.
Quick take
- Spring tree pollen hits hard in April and May, and local reports of record-setting juniper levels this year prove it.
- Grass flares in June.
- Ragweed loves late August through the first frost.
- Most apps are right on the trend, but some miss the timing by a day.
For a lab-verified snapshot of exactly which pollens are spiking around Marion County each week, I like to skim the charts posted by ALCO, our regional nonprofit allergy council. If you want my full, data-packed breakdown of those weekly charts, you can read my complete recap here.
You know what? Small changes saved me more than fancy gear.
My Indy nose knows
Last April, I ran three miles on the Monon near 54th Street. It was sunny, light wind, and the trees looked pretty. By mile two, I felt that sting behind my nose. My right eye watered so much I couldn’t read my watch. Later I checked Pollen.com. Tree pollen was 10.6 out of 12. Top offenders: maple, oak, and elm. It made sense. I could’ve told you that from my face.
In late August, I thought I was ready. Nope. Ragweed smacked me on a Sunday at Garfield Park Farmers Market. BreezoMeter said 4 out of 5 (high). Weather.com called it Very High. My throat felt sandy. I sneezed through the tomato stand—then tried to distract myself with a rapid-fire tasting tour of newish Indy eats. I could barely taste the salsa. Not ideal. That same week, a quick stroll down Georgia Street left me honking like a goose too—proof the downtown corridor isn’t immune.
The apps I trust (and the ones that cry wolf)
I used four, side by side, for a full year:
- Pollen.com: Best for a clear number (0–12) and the “top allergens” list. On September 3 last year, it showed 10.2 with ragweed, pigweed, and plantain. My eyes matched that story. I trust this most for Indy.
- Weather.com: Great alerts. Sometimes it says “Very High” when I feel fine, then the flare hits the next day. So it’s solid for trends, a bit early on timing.
- BreezoMeter: I like the simple 0–5 score and hourly look. But it once showed Medium (3/5) during a gusty afternoon on the canal and I was sniffling like crazy. Wind can make it feel worse than the score.
- Apple Weather (pollen section): Handy, clean, but vague. Good for a quick glance, not for planning a long run.
While poring over all these pollen trackers, I realized I'm just as picky about the other apps on my phone—especially the ones that promise to connect people. If you’ve ever wondered how a more adventurous dating platform measures up, my hands-on Down review digs into its real-world pros, cons, and safety tips, giving you everything you need to decide whether it deserves a spot on your home screen. Likewise, if you miss the old Craigslist-style personals vibe, this guide to Doublelist in Jersey breaks down how the site works, when the most active users log on, and smart precautions to take so you can explore those listings with confidence.
Turns out I'm not alone—a 2017 study in JMIR compared multiple pollen-forecasting tools and logged the same kind of day-to-day inconsistency.
Small gripe: all these tools can lag after rain. A big overnight storm clears the air by morning, but some apps still scream “High.” If I can see wet leaves and smell that fresh dirt? I’m going outside. That’s my rule.
Real days where the count nailed it
- April 12, 7:30 a.m., Monon by Nora: Pollen.com was 9.9/12 for tree. I wore a hat and sunglasses, took fexofenadine at 6 a.m., and I was okay. Not great, but okay.
- May 3, riding at Eagle Creek: Wind from the southwest, oak pollen 10+ on two apps. I skipped the midday ride and went at 6 p.m. The drop in wind saved me.
- September 6, ragweed peak near Fountain Square: 10.7/12. I kept windows closed, ran on the treadmill, and used ketotifen eye drops. No meltdown. Win.
And the times it missed
- Early June, grass season, Irvington evening walk: BreezoMeter said Medium (2/5). A neighbor mowed. My nose turned to lava. Local mowing beats the map.
- After a short thunderstorm in July: Weather.com said pollen would fall. It did… for an hour. Then the sun popped out and pollen burst back up. I learned about “thunderstorm asthma” the hard way. Short storm + wind can stir things up.
What actually helped me (simple, not fancy)
- I changed my HVAC filter to MERV-13. Cheap fix, big help.
- I keep car windows up on I-465 when the count is “High.” Cabin filter matters.
- Saline rinse at night on peak days. Gentle, not heroic. I warm the water a bit so it doesn’t sting.
- One daily antihistamine during April and September. Fluticasone spray if I wake up stuffy.
- Sunglasses for runs. They look silly, but they work.
- Laundry indoors on ragweed days. No line-drying outside. Learned that once; never again.
- I schedule a quick clean-out of our downspouts each April—gunked-up gutters are pollen hotels.
Little Indy quirks I noticed
- North side tree lines near Kessler and College? Gorgeous, but pollen tunnels in spring.
- The canal downtown feels better right after a steady rain. Not a sprinkle—a real rain.
- Saturday mowing spikes grass exposure in the afternoon. If I walk the dog, we stick to shaded streets and avoid fresh-cut lawns.
- After the State Fair wraps up, ragweed gets spicy for two weeks. Feels like clockwork.
Accuracy, in plain words
Are the pollen count tools worth it? Yes. They won’t read your exact block, but they guide the day. Think forecast, not a lab test. In Indy, they’re best at showing the rise and fall and which plant is the bully.
If two apps say High and the wind icon shows gusts above 15 mph, I plan indoor workouts. If it’s High but calm and damp, I still go out—with a hat and a rinse ready.
My quick planning flow
- Night before: Check Pollen.com for the number and the top allergens.
- Morning: Peek at Weather.com for wind and hour-by-hour.
- Decide: Outdoor run if wind is low or it rained steady. If not, treadmill.
- Pack: Tissues, eye drops, sunglasses. Takes 30 seconds. Saves my day.
Final word from my itchy, happy face
Indianapolis is lovely, but pollen has a loud voice here—maple and oak in spring, grasses in June, ragweed late summer into fall. The counts aren’t perfect, yet they’re close enough to change how I plan a run, a market trip, or a picnic at Holliday Park.
Use the numbers, trust your body, and keep a simple kit. Do that, and Indy stays fun—even when the trees are screaming.
—Kayla Sox