What the pollen does
Pollen floats, sinks and packs into filters fast. It also feeds algae and eats chlorine, so a pool that held fine all winter can slip within a week of warm days.
Yellow-green dust in the skimmer is usually pollen, not mustard algae. If it brushes away and returns daily, it is pollen. If it clings to shady walls, test and treat for algae.
Getting ahead of it
Get the filter cleaned in late winter so you start pollen season with full flow. Bump run time back up as the water warms, and keep chlorine on target relative to your CYA.
Empty skimmer and pump baskets more often during the heavy drop.