Cherry blossoms in D.C. set to peak in early April

The blossoms are forecast to peak later than they did in 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Mark your calendars! D.C.’s famous cherry blossom trees are expected to reach peak bloom between April 2 and April 5 this year. At that point, the Tidal Basin will be painted in white and pink by the nearly 4,000 trees that reside within the park.

The trees aren’t as far along as they were this time last year, which is something many of us are seeing in Virginia and into parts of the Carolinas. Since 2004, peak bloom dates have ranged from as early as March 20th to as late as April 10th.

The Yoshino Cherry Trees were gifted to the U.S. by Japan in the early 1910s, and they have become a major tourist attraction ever since. In 1990, extreme temperatures caused blooming as early as mid-March. Extreme cold temperatures, however, delayed the bloom until late April in 1958.

For more information and the park’s COVID response, be sure to click here.


About the Author:

Meteorologist Chris Michaels is an American Meteorological Society (AMS) Certified Broadcaster, forecasting weather conditions in southwest Virginia on WSLS 10 News from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays on Virginia Today.