St. Louis Snow Melt to Kick Off Mold Allergy Season, Expert Warns

ST. LOUIS – Piles of snow across St. Louis have melted, nearly a month after a severe winter storm dropped several inches in the area. Another massive meltdown is expected to hit the area in the coming days.

“We’re looking at temperatures in the 40s on Saturday and then near the 50s next week,” 5 On Your Side weather impact meteorologist Tracy Hinson said. “We’ll see a lot of melting, and all that water is going to go straight into the ground like a sponge.”

The merger may make sidewalks and roads less dangerous, but it will also result in a much less visible problem of reversing allergies for countless residents.

Up to 30% of allergy sufferers have a mold allergy. Warmer temperatures in St. Louis will create perfect mold growing conditions indoors and outdoors, according to Washington University’s H. James Wedner Division of Allergy and Immunology.

“We have a big mold problem here in Missouri because we are where there is water and where there is water, there is mold,” Wedner told 5 On Your Side . “Allergy sufferers have had a bit of a reprieve, largely because it’s been too cold…but then we get a thaw.”

Fallen leaves lying beneath St. Louis’ piles of snow and ice don’t stop decomposing during the winter season. Their continued decomposition, coupled with gradual melting and the insulated heat between the soil and snow, allows mold spores to thrive.

“Snow mold” is described as yellow or white patches of damaged grass that develop 30 to 45 days after permanent snow cover, but it is not visible until after the snow melts, according to the University of Missouri. Once the mold is revealed, Wedner said, its spores would “go wild.”

“All of a sudden the ice and snow are going to melt, we’re going to have a lot of moisture, you have the mold that’s hiding all winter under the snow, and you’re going to be fine,” Wedner said. We’re going to see a high mold season with conventional outdoor molds…and mold allergy patients will be unhappy.”

Interior molds should also spread as temperatures warm. Water intrusion into heated homes also creates ideal conditions for mold growth. Wedner said turning the thermostat to 68 degrees and using dehumidifiers, especially in damp areas of homes, should stop most mold.

Wedner also pointed out that mold is still in our world and is beneficial for food fermentation, medicine and many environmental processes. However, this becomes a problem for people with mold allergies once the mold is prevalent in high quantities.

“If you’re not allergic to (mold), it’s not bad,” Wedner said. “Mold is actually your friend. If there was no mold, there would be no beer, no wine, no cheese and you would be up to your ears in dead leaves every year.”

People with mold allergies may experience the following symptoms, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, including:

• Runny nose (also known as rhinorrhea – usually a clear, thin nasal discharge)
• Stuffy nose (due to nasal blockage or congestion)
• Postnasal drip (mucus drips from the back of your nose into your throat)
• Sneezing
• Itchy nose, eyes, ears and mouth
• Red, watery eyes
• Swelling around the eyes

Wedner said the only way to find out for sure if someone is allergic to mold is to visit a local allergist and do a skin and/or blood test for individual allergens.