Reading NWU's count
Lincoln's pollen count: how to read Nebraska Wesleyan's numbers
- 1.6 Weed pollen, grains per cubic meter, NWU, October 2, 2026 (low)
- 1.0 Grass pollen, NWU, October 2, 2026 (low)
- Feb to mid-Oct NWU's counting season, five days a week
Lincoln's public pollen count comes from Nebraska Wesleyan University, where Dr. Kate Weskamp counts five days a week from February through mid-October on a sampler provided by Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates. The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department doesn't count pollen and links to NWU. On October 2, 2026, NWU posted weeds at 1.6 grains per cubic meter and grass at 1.0, both low, with no tree pollen.
Who counts Lincoln's pollen?
Dr. Kate Weskamp, an assistant professor of chemistry at NWU, makes the count at NWU, 5000 Saint Paul Avenue, on a sampler provided by Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates, and the results are posted to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. The National Allergy Bureau lists the AAIA Lincoln station as Station 166. Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates asks that its counts not be duplicated without written permission, so this guide quotes a handful of NWU figures and links to the rest.
What does the pollen number mean?
NWU sorts every count into low, moderate, high or very high, with separate cutoffs for trees, weeds and grass. On NWU's scale, weeds are low from 1 to 9 grains per cubic meter and moderate from 10 to 49, grass is low up to 4 and moderate up to 19, and trees need 90 to reach high.
What did the October 2, 2026 count show?
| Pollen | NWU count | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Trees | 0 | Absent |
| Weeds, total | 1.6 | Low |
| Chenopods and pigweed | 0.7 | Part of the weed total |
| Hemp, plantain, ragweed | 0.3 each | Part of the weed total |
| Grass | 1.0 | Low |
How long has Lincoln had a pollen count?
Lincoln's count predates NWU's current page: in a 2001 State Museum note, Margaret Bolick wrote that the museum's Division of Botany had counted pollen since 1990, five days a week from late February to mid-October, and called late October the end of Nebraska's hay fever season.
Where does a mattress visit fit?
We don't count pollen, and nothing on this page is a claim that a mattress cleaning changes NWU's number. Sleep Sanitation explains what mattress cleaning can and can't do for allergies.
What steps help a Lincoln bedroom?
- 1Check NWU's page on weekdays The count is posted in season on NWU's pollen count page; LLCHD's air quality page links to it too.
- 2Read the category for the plant A count of 20 is moderate for trees and weeds on NWU's scale but high for grass.
- 3Close the bedroom on NWU's high days When NWU posts high or very high, Nebraska Extension's G2069 advice is to keep doors and windows closed with the air conditioning on.
- 4Rinse off before bed UNL's University Health Center suggests a shower, a hair wash and a change of clothes after time outdoors.
What do Lincoln households ask?
Does the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department publish a pollen count?
No. LLCHD's air quality page, checked on October 3, 2026, says it doesn't conduct seasonal pollen counts and points to the Nebraska Wesleyan University count, which a third party hosts. LLCHD also says pollen and mold aren't regulated by its Air Quality Program.
Is a weed count of 1.6 a lot?
On NWU's scale, a weed count from 1 to 9 grains per cubic meter is low, so October 2, 2026's 1.6 sat near the bottom; NWU's moderate band for weeds starts at 10 and high at 50.
Why does NWU's count have gaps?
NWU counts five days a week during the season, February through mid-October, so not every calendar day gets its own number, and outside that window we haven't found another public daily count for Lincoln.
Source notes
- Nebraska Wesleyan University: Pollen Count, checked October 3, 2026
- Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department: Air Quality (FAQ and allergens), checked October 3, 2026
- Bolick, Margaret R. (2001). Something to Sneeze At: Nebraska's Airborne Pollen. Museum Notes 110, University of Nebraska State Museum, checked October 3, 2026
- Nebraska Extension G2069 (2011): Indoor Air Quality, Know the Asthma Triggers in the Home, checked October 3, 2026
- UNL University Health Center: Seasonal Allergies, checked October 3, 2026
Changelog
- October 3, 2026: First published with NWU's October 2, 2026 count.
- October 3, 2026: Corrected Dr. Weskamp's title to assistant professor of chemistry, per NWU's page.
Published October 3, 2026, updated October 4, 2026. Written by Lincoln Mattress Cleaning, operated by Sleep Sanitation. General information, not medical advice.
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See the allergy season hub or call (402) 512-5658, Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm.