Turns Out I AM Allergic to Snow! By Elaine A. Powers, Author

I grew up in Central Illinois, in the hills of New Jersey and in the lake-effect snow region of Michigan. I am very familiar with snow . . . and moving snow out of the way . . . and being cold.

Consequently, I was delighted to be transferred to Tucson, AZ in the Southwest and nearly snow-free Sonoran Desert. Only once or twice a winter do snowflakes fall and then they disappear within a few hours. Even that is too much for me. There is something very wrong with snow on palm trees and cacti.

I have discovered that Tucson has another kind of snow – it’s called Tucson Snow. In the fall, the Desert Broom (Baccharis sarothroides) blooms. The female shrubs release massive amounts of fluffy white seeds in sufficient quantity to cover the ground with a layer of white. It looks like a layer of newly fallen water-based snow. The seeds germinate in disturbed areas. The male shrubs have small flowers that look nice and don’t disperse.

I, along with many others, start sneezing and wheezing when the Tucson snows begin. Even animals start sneezing and coughing. The eventual relief only comes when the seeds finally blow away.

But, as I suspected, I am truly allergic to snow!

Book Note: Curious about the Sonoran Desert and its creatures? Need to do a book report? Please see my books in The Don’t Series. They are full of scientific information but are different from typical Life Sciences books: they are written in fun rhymes, which has proved to be a real aid to learning and memory. Take a look today—they are colorful, fun and full of scientific facts.