Thanks to colder than expected temperatures this weekend, the National Park Service is now predicting DC’s cherry blossoms will hit peak bloom between March 19 and 22, five days later than a forecast earlier this month.
On March 1, the NPS announced a peak bloom of March 14-17 for the Japanese cherry trees, which would have been the earliest bloom on record. The National Cherry Blossom Festival is still on track for a March 15 start date, with the opening ceremony scheduled for March 25.