The iconic cherry blossoms around Washington, D.C.’s Tidal Basin have reached peak bloom earlier than predicted this year, drawing crowds of visitors eager to experience one of the region’s most beloved seasonal spectacles.
With peak bloom underway, one of the biggest questions now is: How much time is left before the petals fall?
Despite the colder-than-normal temperatures this past winter, bloom season came slightly earlier than predicted by the National Park Service.
“Once we started getting into those warm spring temperatures, that’s what drives the blossom. Doesn’t really matter how cold it was over the winter,” National Mall spokesman Mike Litterist said. “That 80-degree day on Sunday is really what launched us toward peak bloom. The historic average date is April 3, so we’re still earlier than the average date over the last 100 years.”
So how long will they last? Unfortunately, the warmer temperatures in the coming week may shorten the display.
“Warmer temperatures will accelerate that process; cooler temperatures keep the blossoms on longer,” Litterist said. “Forecast right now, over the next seven days, is back up into the 70s and even 80s, so … probably it’s going to be a one-weekend peak bloom again this year.”
Hundreds of trees are being planted along the Tidal Basin to replace those taken down during the sea wall restoration project; 250 of those trees are a gift from Japan, honoring the original 1912 donation and marking America’s 250th birthday.
“My favorite part of the cherry blossoms is they’re really pretty and gorgeous, and it just shows what the earth is capable of,” Kinsey Moore, a student on a field trip to Washington, said. “I really like the symbolism. … Japan and America, they came together, and Japan was just like, ‘Hey, here’s some cherry blossoms. We like you.’”
For Judy and Ron Moore, who are here visiting their daughter from Michigan, finally catching the peak bloom after several missed attempts was incredibly gratifying.
“We’ve tried to come two or three times now, and we always miss it,” Judy said. “We’ll have one shot today because we leave Friday to go back to cold Michigan.”
This time, their timing was perfect.
JAPAN GIFTS 250 CHERRY BLOSSOM TREES TO BE PLANTED ON TIDAL BASIN
“It’s just amazing, they’re so beautiful,” she said, gazing at the water’s edge. “I can’t believe how many.”
If you happen to miss peak bloom, you can still enjoy the National Cherry Blossom Festival running through April 12.
