NPS predicts early peak bloom for DC cherry blossoms

By Rebekah Alvey | 02/29/2024 01:47 PM EST

Record winter temperatures and fluctuating weather made this year’s estimates difficult.

Visitors paddle past cherry blossoms and the Washington Monument near the Tidal Basin.

Visitors paddle past Yoshino cherry blossoms and the Washington Monument near the Tidal Basin on March 18, 2023, in Washington. Nathan Howard/AP

Cherry blossom fans planning their visits to the nation’s capital will find the trees around the Tidal Basin to be in peak bloom from March 23 to 26, the National Park Service predicted Thursday.

Peak bloom reflects when NPS expects 70 percent of the approximately 3,700 Yoshino cherry trees around the Tidal Basin to be in bloom. Depending on weather conditions, a tree can be in bloom for about 10 days.

“Determining the dates for peak bloom is one of the great puzzles in the nation’s capital,” said Jeff Reinbold, NPS superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks at an announcement event. Each year, the team analyzes long-term forecasts, historical records and the appearance of trees in an attempt to pinpoint when the blooms will reach their peak.

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“Emerging from the warmest January on record, this has been a particularly puzzling year to read the trees and establish a projected day for peak bloom,” Reinbold said.

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