Cherry blossoms explode, reach peak bloom 10 days ahead of average!

Warm weather pushed the blossoms to peak bloom on the eighth-earliest date on record.

Aided by unseasonably warm weather since mid-February, Washington’s famed cherry blossoms hit peak bloom on Monday. This year’s peak is 10 days ahead of the recent 30-year average of March 31.

Records of the cherry blossoms’ peak bloom date at the Tidal Basin go back to 1921. This year’s March 21 peak bloom date marks the eighth-earliest peak bloom on record. The earliest peak bloom occurred on March 15, 1990, and the latest on April 18, 1958.

Peak bloom is defined when 70 percent of the cherry trees’ buds are flowering.

This year’s peak bloom coincides with the very beginning of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs from March 20 to April 17.

The blossoms can remain at peak bloom for up to a week under favorable weather — namely, light winds and no precipitation. Petals fall off more quickly if there’s rain, snow, frost, unusually warm weather and/or strong winds.

This week’s weather forecast promises picture-perfect blossom-gazing conditions through Tuesday with warm temperatures and light winds, but Wednesday will bring rain. While the rain may strip some petals off, viewing should still be good Thursday and Friday. Blossoms will probably pass their peak by the weekend amid breezy and cooler conditions.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/03/21/cherry-blossoms-peak-bloom-2022/?

((LUCKY all you guys who are there!))