AccuWeather forecasters optimistic for DC cherry blossom outlook
By
Chaffin Mitchell, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Mar 18, 2021 4:45 PM EDT
|
Updated Mar 22, 2021 8:47 AM EDT
Dexter Henry takes a look at the forecast for those who are ready for spring and the famous cherry blossoms and festival in Washington, D.C.
Last year's unseasonably warm weather ushered in a record-tying early bloom for Washington, D.C.'s famed National Cherry Blossoms -- a spectacle that typically draws in millions of Americans and tourists each year. But the coronavirus pandemic forced spectators to take in the blossoms virtually last year and will do so again, for the most part, this year. However, one factor is sure to impact the display of delicate blossoms -- virtual or not -- and that is the weather.
AccuWeather National Reporter Dexter Henry asked the National Park Service (NPS) Public Affairs Specialist Michael Litterst when he expects this year's bloom to reach its peak, given last year's exceptionally early blossoming.
"The historic average day of peak bloom is right around April 3, April 4, and we are currently projecting the trees to reach peak bloom sometime between April 2 and April 5, so that would put it right on average,” Litterst said.
The peak bloom date is the period during which 70 percent of the Yoshino cherry blossoms are open, and it varies each year depending on weather conditions, according to the NPS.
Washington, D.C., temperatures averaged slightly above normal for meteorological winter, which spans Dec. 1 to Feb. 28. However, February was a very cold month for much of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, and the nation's capital was no exception. The average temperature at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which is 5 miles away from the Tidal Basin, was 1.2 degrees below normal for the second month of the year.
Other factors besides temperatures can also play a role in the stunning spectacle, especially if stormy or windy weather arrives and knocks off blossoms around peak bloom time.
“Over the next three weeks, I don't think wind will be a big issue [for the emerging blossoms] outside of it becoming breezy for a day here or there,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys said, adding that there will be some storms to contend with including a late-week one that will take aim at the area.
Following that storm, Roys explained residents and visitors can expect to experience a temperature roller coaster.
There is the potential for record-tying warmth following closely behind from March 25 to 26. Then, a cold front will move through between March 26 and March 27 that could bring rain and even the chance of thunder.
Eventually, temperatures will rebound late in March and early in April, which is most likely to lead to a near-normal bloom time, Roys predicted.
The colder weather endured in February likely pushed the bloom date back a bit this year, Litterst said. “We didn’t hit 60 [F] until the last week of February. Normally, we hit 60 once or twice in mid-January," he added.
With an average peak bloom date between April 2 and April 5 anticipated this year, Litterst is hoping for nice weather during the bloom so the blossoms stay in good condition.
“If the trees reach peak bloom, and they’re in blossom and then we get hard rains or strong winds, that can knock the front of the blossoms off,” Litterst said. "Ideally once we get to peak bloom, we want the temperatures to cool off a little bit so that the buds don’t race through to the leaf stage, and we don’t want high winds, heavy rains that are going to knock those blossoms off."
Under ideal conditions without cooler weather, a lot of rain or wind, Litterst said he has seen blossoms last on the trees for up to two weeks.
The fleeting nature of the blossoms adds to the intrigue around the annual bloom of the cherry trees in D.C.'s tidal basin, according to Litterst. Typically, blossoms last for about a week to 10 days, he said. If the blossoms were longer-lasting, say, for six months, Litterst suggested that it might not hold as much allure and "wouldn't be quite the big deal" that it is.
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Last year, most people were only able to view the blossoms remotely due to the coronavirus outbreak -- and the NPS is advising people not to visit the Tidal Basin at peak bloom again this year. The virtual show on a webcam last year was such a big hit that people will be able to tune in virtually again this year.
“We had over 750,000 hits. People from more than a hundred countries joined to take a look virtually,” Litterst said.
The University of Washington is offering a live webcam, so people will be able to enjoy the iconic campus cherry blossoms on a screen this year.
Cherry blossom flowers are reflected on a pond at Shinjuku Gyoen national garden in Tokyo, Monday, March 26, 2018. Cherry blossom flowers are at full bloom in Tokyo, Japan, as it warms up for the spring season. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
The flowering trees have bloomed early in recent years due to unseasonably warm weather. D.C.'s cherry trees reached peak bloom on March 20 last year, tying 2012 for the earliest-ever on record. The blossoms emerged early during both of those years due to unseasonable warmth. Mild winter weather led to a snow drought in the nation's capital in 2020, and temperatures continued to climb as the season transitioned to spring. Temperatures averaged 6.4 degrees above normal in Washington, D.C., during March 2020.
During other recent years, like 2017 and 2016, the blossoms peaked well ahead of the average time, with both years reaching 70% of peak bloom on March 25. However, the two years before that -- 2015 and 2014 -- tied for the latest-ever peak bloom on April 10.
The more-than-a-century-old tradition of the National Cherry Blossom Festival honors Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki’s gift of 3,000 cherry trees to Washington, D.C., in 1912, which signifies the continued close relationship between the U.S. and Japan.
“The cherry blossoms represent a major international peace and friendship gesture that we want to keep remembering every year,” said National Cherry Blossom Festival President Diana Mayhew.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Weather Forecasts
AccuWeather forecasters optimistic for DC cherry blossom outlook
By Chaffin Mitchell, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Mar 18, 2021 4:45 PM EDT | Updated Mar 22, 2021 8:47 AM EDT
Dexter Henry takes a look at the forecast for those who are ready for spring and the famous cherry blossoms and festival in Washington, D.C.
Last year's unseasonably warm weather ushered in a record-tying early bloom for Washington, D.C.'s famed National Cherry Blossoms -- a spectacle that typically draws in millions of Americans and tourists each year. But the coronavirus pandemic forced spectators to take in the blossoms virtually last year and will do so again, for the most part, this year. However, one factor is sure to impact the display of delicate blossoms -- virtual or not -- and that is the weather.
AccuWeather National Reporter Dexter Henry asked the National Park Service (NPS) Public Affairs Specialist Michael Litterst when he expects this year's bloom to reach its peak, given last year's exceptionally early blossoming.
"The historic average day of peak bloom is right around April 3, April 4, and we are currently projecting the trees to reach peak bloom sometime between April 2 and April 5, so that would put it right on average,” Litterst said.
The peak bloom date is the period during which 70 percent of the Yoshino cherry blossoms are open, and it varies each year depending on weather conditions, according to the NPS.
Washington, D.C., temperatures averaged slightly above normal for meteorological winter, which spans Dec. 1 to Feb. 28. However, February was a very cold month for much of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, and the nation's capital was no exception. The average temperature at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which is 5 miles away from the Tidal Basin, was 1.2 degrees below normal for the second month of the year.
Other factors besides temperatures can also play a role in the stunning spectacle, especially if stormy or windy weather arrives and knocks off blossoms around peak bloom time.
“Over the next three weeks, I don't think wind will be a big issue [for the emerging blossoms] outside of it becoming breezy for a day here or there,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys said, adding that there will be some storms to contend with including a late-week one that will take aim at the area.
Following that storm, Roys explained residents and visitors can expect to experience a temperature roller coaster.
There is the potential for record-tying warmth following closely behind from March 25 to 26. Then, a cold front will move through between March 26 and March 27 that could bring rain and even the chance of thunder.
Eventually, temperatures will rebound late in March and early in April, which is most likely to lead to a near-normal bloom time, Roys predicted.
The colder weather endured in February likely pushed the bloom date back a bit this year, Litterst said. “We didn’t hit 60 [F] until the last week of February. Normally, we hit 60 once or twice in mid-January," he added.
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With an average peak bloom date between April 2 and April 5 anticipated this year, Litterst is hoping for nice weather during the bloom so the blossoms stay in good condition.
“If the trees reach peak bloom, and they’re in blossom and then we get hard rains or strong winds, that can knock the front of the blossoms off,” Litterst said. "Ideally once we get to peak bloom, we want the temperatures to cool off a little bit so that the buds don’t race through to the leaf stage, and we don’t want high winds, heavy rains that are going to knock those blossoms off."
Under ideal conditions without cooler weather, a lot of rain or wind, Litterst said he has seen blossoms last on the trees for up to two weeks.
The fleeting nature of the blossoms adds to the intrigue around the annual bloom of the cherry trees in D.C.'s tidal basin, according to Litterst. Typically, blossoms last for about a week to 10 days, he said. If the blossoms were longer-lasting, say, for six months, Litterst suggested that it might not hold as much allure and "wouldn't be quite the big deal" that it is.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Last year, most people were only able to view the blossoms remotely due to the coronavirus outbreak -- and the NPS is advising people not to visit the Tidal Basin at peak bloom again this year. The virtual show on a webcam last year was such a big hit that people will be able to tune in virtually again this year.
“We had over 750,000 hits. People from more than a hundred countries joined to take a look virtually,” Litterst said.
The University of Washington is offering a live webcam, so people will be able to enjoy the iconic campus cherry blossoms on a screen this year.
Cherry blossom flowers are reflected on a pond at Shinjuku Gyoen national garden in Tokyo, Monday, March 26, 2018. Cherry blossom flowers are at full bloom in Tokyo, Japan, as it warms up for the spring season. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
The flowering trees have bloomed early in recent years due to unseasonably warm weather. D.C.'s cherry trees reached peak bloom on March 20 last year, tying 2012 for the earliest-ever on record. The blossoms emerged early during both of those years due to unseasonable warmth. Mild winter weather led to a snow drought in the nation's capital in 2020, and temperatures continued to climb as the season transitioned to spring. Temperatures averaged 6.4 degrees above normal in Washington, D.C., during March 2020.
During other recent years, like 2017 and 2016, the blossoms peaked well ahead of the average time, with both years reaching 70% of peak bloom on March 25. However, the two years before that -- 2015 and 2014 -- tied for the latest-ever peak bloom on April 10.
The more-than-a-century-old tradition of the National Cherry Blossom Festival honors Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki’s gift of 3,000 cherry trees to Washington, D.C., in 1912, which signifies the continued close relationship between the U.S. and Japan.
“The cherry blossoms represent a major international peace and friendship gesture that we want to keep remembering every year,” said National Cherry Blossom Festival President Diana Mayhew.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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