A roller-coaster of weather conditions in Washington DC has damaged many cherry blossoms in town; nevertheless, those that have survived the last few weeks will be peaking this weekend, around March 25-26.
A very warm winter helped famed cherry trees in Washington DC perk-up extra-early. Early National Park Service forecasts suggested that the blossoms may arrive extra-early this year. In there initial forecast, the National Park Service’s National Mall announced that they expected blossoms to peak between March 14 – March 17, which would be one of the earliest peak times on record.
But the Blizzard of 2017 changed all that. While most snow from that storm fell well north of the Washington, DC metro area, the city did not escape the cold air. As a result, temperatures well-below freezing and icy conditions killed any early blooms.
However, not all blooms were killed; some hardy trees, amounting to nearly half of the trees in the tidal basin, didn’t start to bloom at the time of the winter storm, protecting them.
The famous DC cherry trees have bloomed as early as March 15 (1990) and as late as April 18 (1958).
The official Opening Ceremony of the National Cherry Blossom is scheduled for Sunday, March 25. Hosted at the historic Warner Theatre, the Opening Ceremony event features world-renowned performers welcoming springtime to Washington, DC, celebrating the anniversary of the gift of trees from Japan to the United States. The Opening Ceremony celebrates the new spring season through a showcase of American and Japanese talent.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival continues through mid-April, with a Blossom Kite Festival slated for April 1, a Festival Parade on April 8, and a waterfront fireworks show on April 15.
