Photo by Katie Harbath

Washington’s crop of Japanese cherry trees are expected to hit their peak blooms on March 26, the National Park Service said today at a press conference previewing National Cherry Blossom Festival.

The blossom period is projected to last through March 30, lining up with the second week of the 101st edition of the annual commemoration of Tokyo’s 1912 gift of more than 3,000 cherry trees to the District of Columbia. The festival itself is scheduled to run between March 20 and April 14, during which time Washington will see its busiest influx of tourists all year.

Cherry blossoms, however, are susceptible to wild shifts in the weather. Last year, an early wave of summery weather moved the peak bloom dates up by nearly a full week.