When it comes to allergies, Minnesota is nothing to sneeze at

My Twitter feed reveals a number of allergy sufferers have already noticed the whammy that comes with warmer temperatures, especially after a warmer-than-normal winter.

It will likely come as cold comfort, though, that the Twin Cities — or any other city in Minnesota — isn’t on the worst-50 list for allergies, released today by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

Most of the top — or worst — cities are in the south but there are some odd rankings. Why, for example, would Syracuse (#15) — a city in a traditionally cold climate near a Great Lake — be on the list while Duluth isn’t, for example? Ditto for Buffalo (#25)? What does Des Moines (#49) and Madison (#19) have that the Twin Cities doesn’t?

It could be pollen scores, the number of allergy mediations used per patient, or the number of board-certified allergists per patient. Those are the three criteria for judging.

Knoxville is the worst place in the country for allergy sufferers because it has plenty of pollen-producing plants, and the Smoky Mountains traps the pollen in valleys.

The Weather Channel, which also sponsored the survey, says the warmer weather is making allergy seasons start earlier and last longer.

Welcome to the first day of spring!