March is here, and the cherry blossom watch is already on!
The National Park Service revealed its peak bloom prediction on Wednesday: The cherry trees will reach the ultimate phase on March 22 to 25.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is set to run from March 20 to April 16
Storm Team4 forecasts peak bloom will occur March 15 to 20 — just before the start of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.
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Spokesperson Mike Litterst teased that the warm weather means it’s likely that peak bloom will occur earlier than the average date of April 4.
“I think the trees are just as confused as we are,” Litterst said.
Winter was so unusually warm that the cherry trees never reached dormancy — which is usually a factor in the calculations of when peak bloom will occur, Litterst said.
Cherry Blossom Festival
“We had sort of an arbitrary starting point, which was a challenge,” Litterst said. “We’re also seeing the effects of these crazy swings in temperature and weather.”
What to Know About Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom
Peak bloom is when 70% of the Yoshino cherry trees around the Tidal Basin show open blossoms.
The Yoshino cherry trees have already produced buds, entering the first stage on Thursday, Feb. 23. It was the earliest green bud stage in over a decade.
Weather plays a large role in determining when the cherry blossoms reach peak bloom — so keep an eye on the forecast to make your peak bloom plans!
Peak bloom typically lasts for several days.
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