NATIONAL MALL AND MEMORIAL PARKS – This year’s peak bloom for the iconic cherry blossoms along the National Mall in Washington, D.C. is predicted to be March 28-31.
Peak bloom is defined as 70% of the Yoshino Cherry blossoms blooming at the same time. Typically, the bloom will last for about a week but there are no guarantees.
“Cool, calm weather can extend the length of the bloom, and a rainy, windy day can bring an abrupt end to the ephemeral blossoms,” writes the National Park Service. “A late frost can prevent the trees from blooming at all.”
Typically, peak bloom happens around the last week of March or first the first week of April, but warm temperatures have resulted in a bloom as early as March 15 and cold temperatures pushed one back all the way to April 18 in 1958.
It’s almost impossible to make an accurate prediction more than 10 days in advance, writes the NPS. To do it, NPS horticulturists closely track bud and blossom development. The National Park Service just unveiled this year’s prediction on February 27, 2025.
National Park News
