Texas winter storm could mean better wildflower season, but bad news for people with allergies

Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Winter storm could benefit Texas wildflower season
February's winter storm may have wreaked havoc on your yard, but experts say the Texas wildflower crop will actually do great this year because of the snow.

February's winter storm caused a lot of damage in the state of Texas. But one thing the freezing temperatures and snow may have actually helped with is the flowers.

Experts say the snow acted like a blanket over the wildflowers, some such as Buttercups, Primrose and of course the coveted bluebonnets.

"With the winter storm, in theory, we kind of protected the wildflower seeds and we watered them when it melted, and it rains all the time in Houston," said Dr. Shane Magee, internal medicine specialist at Kelsey-Seybold.

February's winter storm may have wreaked havoc on your yard, but experts say the Texas wildflower crop will actually do great this year because of the snow.

That means good news if you need to get out of the house and add a new pic to your Instagram. But, Magee said it's bad news for anyone trying to tell the difference between allergies and symptoms of COVID-19.

"Allergies. You're not going to be having a fever, [that's] certainly true. You are probably not going to be coughing up any green or yellow mucus, right? If anything, it's going to be a clear, runny nose for allergies," Magee said.

He said both can cause a dry cough. But, on the bright side, Magee said some COVID-19 precautions may actually help those who suffer from allergies.

"Masks may actually help with the allergies, which is kind of nice," Magee said.

The biggest thing to remember is, "It's really hard to tell but for most people, allergies are in the head and COVID-19 is in the lungs."

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