“Pollen Haboob” Hits New Englanders Tuesday

1 Jun 2022, 6:35 am

It was a different kind of weather event on the final day of May in New England on Tuesday, a storm of the pollen variety.

@Met_CindyFitz here is a video that I took in Hudson Mass pic.twitter.com/whRBuomfXN

— anne (@skeeter923) May 31, 2022

Clouds of yellow-greenish dust swept across the skyline Tuesday, indicative of a dust storm in the Plains. But this one was of a different color, and of a different variety. Some are referring to it as a “pollen haboob”, stemming off the term haboob which is the name for a dust storm.

495 South near 290 pic.twitter.com/fIM3fMVuX6

— Sean Bowe (@sbowe72) May 31, 2022

Social media users across Massachusetts posted their videos of low visibility, clouds of pollen, and gusty winds rolling across the horizon. At the time, a strong cold front was moving through New England.

https://twitter.com/PeteNBCBoston/status/1531660253628096515

https://twitter.com/weatherinri/status/1531709143270162435

Cold front and the line of #pollen continuing to push west southwest through Connecticut. pic.twitter.com/NEpCXrjakT

— Dave Epstein (@growingwisdom) May 31, 2022

This strong cold front, referred to as a back door cold front because it seeps south from Canada, plummeted temperatures a solid 30 degrees after its passage. Afternoon temperatures were in the 90’s ahead of the front, but 50’s where the cold air reached.

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About the author

Steven Glazier

Summer of 1993, New England Dragway. That's when and where Steve knew he wanted to become a meteorologist. More than 20 years later he is extremely fortunate and blessed to be able to live his childhood dream. As a lover of math and science, Steve had a consistent interest in weather in elementary, middle, and high school before discovering you can major in meteorology. He attended Lyndon State Co... Load Morellege in Vermont where he received a bachelor's in meteorology-broadcasting and associate's in television news. He has worked as a meteorologist and reporter in Winchester, VA, Burlington, VT, and most recently in West Palm Beach, FL. He's recognized by the American Meteorological Society with the Certification of Broadcast Meteorologists.