We’re still in the middle of winter, but the eagerly anticipated 2024 cherry blossom season is already on the radar for many enthusiasts around the country. For those awaiting news of peak bloom in Washington, D.C., it’s still too early to pinpoint, but we do have some information that can keep you going through the wintry weeks ahead.
While Japan has released its official cherry blossom forecast for 2024, peak bloom forecasts for D.C.’s cherry blossoms are still pending. The National Cherry Blossom Festival is set for March 20 to April 14, 2024, with the expectation that the trees will be in full bloom at some point during that period.
“Peak bloom” is when 70% of the cherry blossoms open on the Yoshino cherry trees around the Tidal Basin. Depending on weather conditions, the full blooming period can last from several days to up to two weeks. The National Park Service announces the predicted peak bloom period at the kick-off press conference for the Cherry Blossom Festival in early March of each year. Peak bloom can be difficult to predict more than 10 days in advance, but it is expected to happen over the course of the festival period.
The cherry blossoms tend to bloom, on average, in the last week of March into the first week of April, so we can keep our sights set on that stretch. If you want to be the first to know when peak bloom predictions are announced, keep an eye on Cherry Blossom Watch for updates.