Ragweed Season in the Twin Cities: A Timing Guide

Ragweed is the plant most late-summer sneezing in Minnesota actually comes from, and its timing here is predictable enough to plan around.

1. When Ragweed Actually Peaks Here

In the Twin Cities, ragweed typically starts releasing pollen in mid-to-late August and runs through the first hard frost, usually sometime in October. Counts tend to peak on hot, dry, breezy days and drop after rain, which is why symptoms can swing sharply from one day to the next during these weeks.

2. Ragweed or a Cold? How to Tell

Both cause congestion and a runny nose, but a few things separate them. Allergies bring itchy eyes and an itchy throat, symptoms a cold rarely does. Allergies also don't come with a fever or body aches, and they tend to linger for weeks rather than resolving in seven to ten days. If symptoms return at the same time every year, that pattern itself is a strong clue.

3. Getting Ahead of It

Starting an antihistamine or nasal steroid a week or two before ragweed typically arrives works better than waiting for symptoms to start, since it gives the medication time to build effect before your body is already reacting. Keeping windows closed on high-pollen days and showering after time outdoors also cuts down on how much pollen makes it inside.

4. When Testing Makes Sense

If over-the-counter medication isn't enough, or if ragweed season is just one piece of a longer allergy calendar that stretches across most of the year, testing can pin down exactly what's driving it and open the door to treatment aimed at the cause rather than another season of managing symptoms.