Washington’s famous cherry blossom trees hit peak bloom.
The National Park Service (NPS) announced late Sunday morning that the trees around the Tidal Basin reached their final blooming stage.
“The cherry trees have reached peak bloom after temps well above average last week sped us through the final stages of the blossom cycle - just four days from stage 4 to peak,” NPS said in a tweet.
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Officials urged cherry blossom lovers to see the flowering trees on the NWS Bloom Cam livestream.
Photos: Washington Cherry Blossoms Hit Peak Bloom
The National Park Service previously predicted March 31 for peak bloom to begin.
Storm Team4 Meteorologist Amelia Draper predicted the cherry blossoms' much-anticipated peak bloom to happen between March 30 and April 3. Draper had previously forecast peak bloom for April 4-9 but moved up the dates due to recent warm weather.
You can safely watch the beauty unfurl from home.
"The #BloomCam is live! Watch the #cherryblossoms develop & enjoy their spring beauty from the comfort of your home," the NPS tweeted Thursday morning. "And now that the blossoms are at peduncle elongation–the 4th of 6 stages–we're even closer to peak bloom."
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Cherry Tree Varieties, by Bloom
Source: Getty Images, Flicker
Credit: Anisa Holmes / NBC Washington
Cherry Blossom Access Could Be Cut If Crowds Make Social Distancing Impossible
One important thing to keep in mind if you're hoping to see the blooms in person: Park officials have been warning that if crowds get too large, access will be shut down for safety reasons.
What kind of crowd would force a closure? Mike Litterst of NPS said Wednesday that officials will just be able to tell if the crowd gets too large.
“It is a judgment call, but it is based on the CDC guidance of 6-foot social distancing and the city’s mass gathering limitations of 50 people,” Litterst said.
The restrictions would apply to people on foot as well as those in vehicles, the NPS said.
All the Neighborhood Cherry Blossom Trees in the District
Cherry trees on non-federal land in D.C., color-coded by type of tree and sized according to the tree's diameter. Click on the magnifying glass at the bottom of the map to search for your address.
Source: D.C. Department of Transportation (DDOT) Street Spatial Database (SSD)
Credit: Anisa Holmes / NBC Washington
