Any day now! The cherry blossoms have reached the fifth stage: puffy white.
D.C.’s iconic cherry blossoms have reached stage five as they inch one step closer to peak bloom, the National Park Service (NPS) posted Sunday on its Bloom Watch page.
Stage five is known as the puffy white stage where the blossoms are fully formed but the petals are still closed. Last year, the blossoms reached stage five on March 15.
Peak bloom, the final stage, is when 70% of the Yoshino cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin have opened.
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Daily temperatures generally play a role in how fast the blossoms progress through the stages to reach peak bloom. In previous years, extremely warm or cool temperatures have led to peak bloom as early as March 15 (in 1990) and as late as April 18 (back in 1958).
This year, the NPS has predicted peak bloom for March 28 to March 31, and Storm Team4 Meteorologist Amelia Draper says March 28 to April 3 likely will be the best time to see the blossoms.
You can send us YOUR peak bloom prediction; the person who gets the closest without going over will receive a cherry blossom-themed NBC4 & Telemundo 44 prize pack.
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