Palm Desert pollen forecast - today, tomorrow and the week ahead
Pollen Today
Today (20 September) pollen in Palm Desert is high; ragweed is high; grass is moderate; mugwort is low.
Pollen Tomorrow
Tomorrow (21 September 2026) grass remains moderate, ragweed remains high, mugwort no longer expected.
7-Day Trend
Over the next week grass, mugwort, and ragweed will increase.
Explore Forecasts
Air Quality
Pollen for Neighborhoods
Air Quality in Other Cities
Get More in Our App
Local pollen and air quality forecasts, interactive pollen maps and route profiles
Features and forecast availability vary by region.
Pollen Risk
Today - 20 September
| Pollen species | Level | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Alder (Alnus) | None | 0/100 |
| Birch (Betula) | None | 0/100 |
| Hazel (Corylus) | None | 0/100 |
| Cypress (Cupressaceae) | None | 0/100 |
| Grass (Poaceae) | Moderate | 47/100 |
| Willow (Salicaceae) | None | 0/100 |
| Mugwort (Artemisia) | Low | 16/100 |
| Ragweed (Ambrosia) | High | 70/100 |
Tomorrow - 21 September
| Pollen species | Level | Value | 7-Day Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alder (Alnus) | None | 0/100 | — |
| Birch (Betula) | None | 0/100 | — |
| Hazel (Corylus) | None | 0/100 | — |
| Cypress (Cupressaceae) | None | 0/100 | — |
| Grass (Poaceae) | Moderate | 28/100 | |
| Willow (Salicaceae) | None | 0/100 | — |
| Mugwort (Artemisia) | None | 0/100 | |
| Ragweed (Ambrosia) | High | 57/100 |
Local Environmental Conditions
Palm Desert's Riverside County California Coachella Valley setting features blue palo verde, smoke tree, and ironwood as the main native pollen sources alongside resort and residential plantings, with exposure varying between the native desert hillside areas and the irrigated resort and residential corridors along El Paseo. The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens contributes distinctive desert plant pollen diversity, while the Santa Rosa Mountain backdrop creates downslope wind conditions and the resort vegetation creates a lush oasis distinct from the surrounding desert.
Palm Desert's Coachella Valley desert setting produces a season opening in January with palo verde and desert willow before grass from surrounding Sonoran Desert land peaks through March and April. Mugwort extends exposure into September, while the extremely hot desert summer suppresses most pollen from July through early September and the Santa Rosa Mountain backdrop concentrates pollen under certain wind conditions.
Get pollen & AQ on Strava
Follow your environmental exposure and performance with the free Airmine-Strava integration. See your pollen and air quality exposure for every Strava activity.
Resource Hub
Pollen forecast neighborhoods 3 neighborhoods
Frequently Asked Questions About Pollen in California
Is pollen high in Palm Desert right now?
On 20 September 2026, overall pollen levels in Palm Desert are high. Ambrosia is the main contributor to airborne pollen, while grass and artemisia remain at lower levels
Will pollen levels change in Palm Desert tomorrow?
On 21 September 2026, pollen conditions in Palm Desert will be different from today, with ambrosia at high levels, grass at moderate levels
Is pollen expected to decrease in Palm Desert this week?
According to the five-day outlook, ambrosia, artemisia, and grass pollen levels will increase later in the week.
Which pollen types are currently active in Palm Desert?
On 20 September 2026, Ambrosia is the dominant pollen source in Palm Desert. grass and artemisia are also present but at lower levels.
When is pollen season in Palm Desert?
How often is the Palm Desert pollen forecast updated?
The Palm Desert pollen forecast is updated four times daily. See the timestamp below for the most recent update.
Does pollen in Palm Desert come from nearby or far away?
Studies show that most pollen exposure (often 70–90%) comes from nearby sources, such as local trees and vegetation. A good pollen forecast therefore depends on accurately representing local vegetation. Pollen can travel long distances, but this usually matters only early in the season or during specific wind events.
Are pollen levels in Palm Desert based on measurements or forecasts?
Pollen data is often misunderstood. Most "pollen levels" are not real-time measurements, but forecasts.
Direct pollen measurements are typically delayed by 1-2 days because they require manual analysis. To show current conditions in Palm Desert, modern forecasts combine recent measurements, weather data, and information about local vegetation.
This allows us to estimate pollen levels for today and the coming days, not just report the past.
Airmine’s atmospheric monitoring platform was developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) team, using satellite and Earth observation technologies to improve emissions monitoring.
Understanding the Scale
The 0–100 scores represent risk levels, not direct measurements of pollen or air pollutant concentrations. Higher scores indicate higher risk. Pollen and air quality use different thresholds.
Pollen
| None | 0 | No or negligible risk of exposure. Pollen/mold exposure is expected to be minimal. |
| Low | 0-25 | Low risk of exposure. Small amounts of pollen or mold spores may be present. |
| Moderate | 25-50 | Moderate risk of exposure. Pollen/mold exposure is expected to be noticeable. |
| High | 50-75 | High risk of exposure. Elevated pollen/mold exposure is expected. |
| Very High | 75-100 | Very high risk of exposure. Pollen/mold exposure is expected to be at or near its highest levels. |
Get More in the Airmine Pollen app
Get 15-day pollen forecasts with morning, afternoon and evening detail, plus 5-day air quality forecasts. Explore interactive pollen risk maps, estimated pollen season start, route profiles and a symptoms diary.
Features and forecast availability vary by region. Currently covering Europe, the contiguous US, southern Canada, South Africa, Australia, Indonesia (Java & Bali), Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and the Buenos Aires area.
Developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA) Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS).
