Some of the famous cherry blossom trees around D.C.'s Tidal Basin entered the first phase of their blooming cycle, the National Park Services (NPS) announced Thursday.
NPS said in a tweet that the Yoshino cherry blossom trees have started to develop green buds, the first of six stages culminating in peak bloom.
NPS makes its own prediction about the blossoms each year. Earlier this month, they announced their expecting peak bloom April 2-5.
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Storm Team4 Meteorologist Amelia Draper is predicting the cherry blossoms' much-anticipated peak bloom to happen a little later, about April 4-9.
Cherry Tree Varieties, by Bloom
Source: Getty Images, Flicker
Credit: Anisa Holmes / NBC Washington
This time last year, cherry blossoms had already reached bloom stage 3, during which florets begin to extend.
With temperatures running cooler than normal this month, Draper said the blossoms are likely to reach peak bloom later than usual. Typically, peak bloom happens in late March to early April.
With the National Cherry Blossom Festival quickly approaching, people will be able to watch the blossoms live on the festival's #BloomCam, which will be on the festival's website.
This year's festival will have a variety of virtual and outdoor events to allow for social distancing.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Thursday that access to the cherry blossoms could be restricted in order to keep large crowds from gathering.
D.C. police and U.S. Park Police are working together on plans to mitigate congestion.
There are tons of cherry blossom trees throughout the city that you can see in a more socially distanced way.
Here are all the cherry blossom trees in the region, so you can find some close to you.
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
