The National Park Service has released its initial peak bloom prediction.

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#BloomWatch is in full swing: the National Park Service announced that the cherry blossoms are expected to reach peak bloom sometime from March 27-30.  Update 3/11/: NPS announced that peak bloom will be earlier than expected, sometime between March 21-24.

The Yoshino trees are the ones to watch—they make up most of the population along the Tidal Basin, and peak bloom is when 70 percent of those blossoms are open.


The Yoshino trees reached an early green bud phase—the first of six stages to full bloom—last week. Those buds turned into visible florets on Tuesday, the second phase. By 8:31 a.m. Wednesday morning, the National Parks Service tweeted that it was “making a final check of the trees, looking at the long range forecast, and crunching the data one last time.

NPS Superintendent Jeff Reinbold made the announcement at a ceremony today, along with Mayor Muriel Bowser, National Cherry Blossom Festival president Diana Mayhew, and Minister Takehiro Shimada of the Japanese Embassy. Bower opened the announcement ceremony by saying, “As mayor, I’m always proud when I’m able to build and strengthen bonds with communities around the world, and every year, this festival is a reminder of that bond between the United States and Japan.”

Bowser briefly addressed fears about traveling during the global coronavirus outbreak, reinforcing that there are currently no confirmed cases of the virus in the District or its surrounding suburbs, and that health officials are closely monitoring the situation. “We are open for business and we expect to welcome thousands of people to our city over the next few weeks,” she said. “As a world-class city, we have world-class preparedness as well.” 

Still, officials say they are bracing for a drop in tourism from international travelers (Chinese tourists have historically made up the largest share of foreign visitors to the District).

If the NPS horticulturalists’ prediction holds true, peak bloom will come earlier than both last year and 2018’s dates (April 1 and April 5, respectively). The bloom cycle is driven by warm temperatures, and this year marked Washington’s seventh-warmest winter on record. In fact, according to the USA National Phenology Network, spring has come to the region 24 days early.

The Cherry Blossom Festival, which is planned months in advance, kicks off on March 20 with a “Pink Tie Party.” It spans four weeks, with highlights that include a parade, art installations, a beer garden, more than 100 musical performances (including the rapper Nelly), a 10-mile run, and a kite festival.

More:
D.C. Is Preparing For A Decline In International Tourism Because Of Coronavirus 
This Is A Record-Warm Winter. What Does That Mean For The Cherry Blossoms?

Filed Under: cherry blossoms, National Parks Service, peak bloom, tidal basin,