DC Cherry Blossoms To Hit Peak Bloom On These Dates

WASHINGTON, DC — The National Park Service on Thursday announced the estimated peak bloom dates for D.C.'s famed Yoshino cherry blossoms.

At a news conference, the Park Service said to expect full blooms from March 28 to March 31.

According to the NPS, the peak bloom date is when 70 percent of the cherry blossoms are open. While peak bloom varies annually depending on weather conditions, the most likely time to reach peak bloom is between the last week of March and the first week of April.

The trees typically bloom for several days, and the blooming period also depends on weather conditions.

Extraordinary warm or cool temperatures have resulted in peak bloom as early as March 15 in 1990 and as late as April 18 in 1958. Last year, peak bloom was on March 17.

In a separate prediction released Wednesday, the Capital Weather Gang at the Washington Post predicted the cherry blossoms will reach peak bloom earlier — between March 23 and March 27.

"The D.C. area has endured its chilliest winter in several years, but signs of spring are emerging," the Capital Weather Gang wrote. "This week, a trio of mild days with highs in the 60s will not just melt away remnant piles of snow, but also should launch the Tidal Basin’s famed Yoshino cherry trees into their bloom process."

This year's National Cherry Blossom Festival, which will run from March 20 through April 14 and feature dozens of events around the city, comes after more than 1,000 National Park Service staff, including rangers, have been laid off amid the Trump administration's push to reduce the federal workforce.

In an interview with WTOP, Ed Stierli, mid-Atlantic regional director for the National Parks Conservation Association, said the layoffs could affect this year's festival.

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"There are going to be fewer park guides to offer programming. There’s going to be fewer maintenance staff to keep facilities looking great, to empty the trash, to make sure that bathrooms are clean," he told WTOP.

According to Stierli, at least two positions at Rock Creek Park were cut, along with "a dozen or more" positions across the National Capital Region.