Cedar Fever: What Austin Residents Need to Know

Quick answer: Cedar fever is the Austin name for the reaction many people have to mountain cedar (Ashe juniper) pollen, which usually peaks from December through February. Your house can’t change the pollen count outside, but closed windows, a well-fitted filter changed on schedule during the season and a HEPA purifier in the bedroom can cut how much pollen stays in your indoor air.

What is cedar fever, and when does it hit Austin?

Cedar fever is what Central Texans call the season when mountain cedar trees release their pollen, usually December through February, with January often the worst. The pollen rides a north wind for miles, and on dry, breezy days the Hill Country trees release orange-brown clouds of it that look like smoke. Even if there’s no cedar on your street, it reaches you.

Our live Austin air quality and pollen index shows current conditions, updated every 30 minutes.

Whether what you’re feeling is cedar or something else, and how to treat it, is a question for your doctor. We’ll stick to the house.

How does cedar pollen get inside your home?

Mostly through open windows and doors, on clothes and pets, and through leaky ductwork. January loves a 70°F afternoon, and the window you open to enjoy it lets the pollen right in.

Leaky return ducts are the sneaky route. The return side of the system is under suction, so a gap in an attic return pulls in unfiltered attic air. Sealing those gaps is a job for a technician, and it’s a real fix.

How can your HVAC system help keep cedar pollen out?

It can catch the pollen that gets in, as long as the air actually passes through a good filter. Four habits make the difference:

• Keep windows and doors closed on dry, windy days.
• Check your HVAC filter monthly during the season and change it when it looks gray or dusty.
• Use a filter that fits tightly. A pleated MERV 8-13 filter catches far more pollen than thin fiberglass. MERV is a 1-16 scale for how fine a filter catches. Ask a technician before going denser, since some systems can’t move enough air through it.
• Run a HEPA air purifier in the bedroom and living room, each sized for its room.

Not sure your setup is doing its job? Gold Eagle does indoor air quality assessments across Austin, checking filter fit, return leaks and airflow.

What should you do next?

• Check the live pollen index above before opening windows.
• Check your filter monthly from December through February.
• Run a HEPA purifier in the bedroom.
• Book an air quality check with Gold Eagle for filter fit and return leaks, or call 512-489-4653.

Related guides: Why Are Allergies So Bad in Austin Right Now?, What Are MERV Ratings, and How Do They Affect IAQ? and Air Purification Systems: Choosing the Right One for Your Home.

About Gold Eagle Services: This guide comes from the team at Gold Eagle Services, a family-run Austin HVAC, indoor air quality and mold remediation company founded in 2017. We’re licensed (TACLA119235 and RCO1783), insured and bonded, and we serve homes across the greater Austin area.

Need help with this in your home? Learn about our indoor air quality solutions, or call 512-489-4653 to schedule a visit.