Ragweed has arrived with a vengeance in New Jersey

The final part of pollen season, ragweed, is descending upon New Jerseyans this week, and this summer's Jersey weather will be a factor.

Allergist Leonard Bielory of Rutgers said all of the rain the state has seen pushed back the start of ragweed season to this week.

"The first grain of pollen was seen on Thursday, Aug. 17, but the real start was on Sunday. Rain held off the major release for 48 hours," he said.

But the really bad news, according to Bielory, is that this ragweed season in Jersey will be more severe than in the past, because of all that rain.

"We have had some downpours almost every Friday. ... The precipitation has provided incredible growth for the ragweed, as well as poison ivy, in fact," he said.

He says the release and the ragweed season will continue for the next 70 days or so,

"In the first weeks of November is usually when the first frost comes, and we actually neutralize the rest of the ragweed season," he said.

But till then, ragweed could be pretty intense.

Joe Cutter is the afternoon news anchor on New Jersey 101.5.

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