Peak bloom coming early for DC’s cherry blossoms

Washington, D.C., will see another early peak bloom for its beloved cherry blossom trees, the National Park Service (NPS) announced Thursday.

The NPS estimates that the peak bloom for the cherry blossoms in the nation’s capital will be March 23-26, depending on weather conditions, almost exactly in line with last year’s peak of March 22-25.

Peak bloom is the date when 70 percent of the Yoshino cherry tree blossoms are open.

“One of #WashingtonDC’s most anticipated events, the gorgeous blossoming trees produce a short-lived scene of splendor,” the NPS account for the National Mall wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

The NPS noted the typical peak bloom season is between the last week of March and the first week of April, with variance based mostly on late winter temperatures.

The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang had separately predicted that peak bloom could come even earlier this year — March 19-23 — due to 2024’s mild temperatures so far.

The NPS said that warmer temperatures in the past have resulted in the peak bloom occurring as early as March 15 in 1990, while cooler temperatures have resulted in a delayed bloom that occurred as late as April 18 in 1958.

Washington, D.C., will host its annual Cherry Blossom Festival March 20 to April 14, which commemorates the cherry trees gifted to the U.S. by Japan in 1912.

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