Eager blossom-watchers now have a bit more information to use when making plans to catch the cherry blossoms in D.C. Horticulturalists at the National Park Service have announced their initial prediction for when we’ll see peak bloom this year, and it’s earlier than expected.
While the Washington Post’s weather team predicts peak bloom 2024 will occur from March 19 to 23, the National Park Service experts say peak bloom will more likely happen from March 23 to 26. Peak bloom is the time when 70% of the Yoshino Cherry blossoms are open. It usually occurs between the last week of March and the first week of April, and extreme temperatures (warm or cold) can affect the dates.
Expert horticulturalists monitor bud development in order to forecast peak bloom, but predicting the exact dates is nearly impossible more than 10 days in advance. This year’s predicted peak bloom is earlier than the historical average due to the unusually warm winter. The bloom should last for a period of several days, though wind and rain can adversely affect the bloom.
The much-anticipated bloom, if it occurs as predicted, will align nicely with the National Cherry Blossom Festival to be held March 20 to April 14. In the meantime, cherry blossom enthusiasts at Cherry Blossom Watch are keeping a careful eye on the trees and reporting progress.