Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 1, 2016

There are still flowers on the trees, even if they’re well past their prime. At least there are until the rain and wind rolls in over the next few days.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016 taken by David Coleman.
Last Updated:

I MAY get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The cherry blossoms reached peak bloom on March 17, 2024. That's the second-earliest on record.

RELATED:
Latest Updates on the 2024 Bloom
Peak Bloom Forecasts in Detail

It’s now a week after the cherry blossoms’ peak bloom.

First, the good news: the trees are holding up remarkably well and there are still flowers to see for longer than there has been in recent years. They’re well past their prime now, and a lot of petals have fallen, but there are also still plenty of flowers out. The slow, drawn-out start we had to the bloom is paying dividends now. The early bloomers are done already, but many of the trees still have flowers on them. And there are also some trees of different varieties of cherry that are only just starting.

Now, the not-so-good news: here comes the rain and wind. We’re in for a few days of unsettled weather, with showers, wind, much warmer than average temperatures, and, potentially, storms. None of those is helpful in keeping the cherry blossom petals on the trees in their fragile state. On the plus side, it doesn’t look like much of it’s going to be extreme. The rain looks more like showers than really setting in, although storms might be a different matter, if they appear.

AFTERNOON UPDATE: The National Weather Service has now issued a High Wind Watch for the area for Saturday night through Sunday morning, with gusts possibly reaching 60mph and/or sustained wind of at least 40mph.

See below for updates on the Kwanzan cherry blossoms and the Floral Library.

Prospects for the Weekend

If you’re coming in this weekend you will be able to catch at least some flowers, although it might not be many. They’re definitely well past their prime now, but that doesn’t mean they’re not still pretty. And some trees have more flowers than others. The photos below were taken this morning and will give you some sense of what to expect, but they were also taken before the rainy and breezy conditions arrived.

UPDATE: I’ve had reports from readers that the wind and rain later on Friday knocked a lot of the petals off and there’s not much left. I haven’t yet had a chance to see for myself but will post new photos when I can. Please see the April 2 update.

Cherry Blossom 10-Miler Road Closures

If you’re heading anywhere near the Tidal Basin on Sunday morning you’ll have to contend with road closures for the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler.

The Tidal Basin remains open to pedestrian traffic and you can still access it even during the race. But you might have to cross roads through a swarm of oncoming runners, so please exercise caution.

You won’t be able to park along Ohio Drive or around East Potomac Park during the morning.

You can find the road closure maps here. Most of the road closures are in effect from 5am to 10:30am.

Photos from this Morning

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Kwanzan Cherry Blossoms

They’re not blooming yet, but they’re not far away now. Here are some shots of how they were looking this morning.

Kwanzan Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Kwanzan Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Kwanzan Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Kwanzan Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Kwanzan Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Kwanzan Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Kwanzan Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Kwanzan Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Kwanzan Cherry Blossoms - April 1, 2016

Floral Library

Nearly all of the tulips at the Floral Library are out and in their prime. There are only a handful of sections where they’re not blooming yet, but on the whole it’s looking beautiful. All the more so because it’s covered in a light layer of cherry blossom “snow” at the moment.

Here’s information on how to find it.

Tulips at the Floral Library - April 1, 2016

Tulips at the Floral Library - April 1, 2016

Tulips at the Floral Library - April 1, 2016

Tulips at the Floral Library - April 1, 2016

Tulips at the Floral Library - April 1, 2016

Tulips at the Floral Library - April 1, 2016

Tulips at the Floral Library - April 1, 2016

Discussion

  1. Im surprising my wife with a trip out to DC next weekend for our anniversary. Will the Tidal Basin still have any blossoms out? Are any other areas any better for next weekend to see a full bloom tree?

    Reply
    • The weekend of April 9-10 should be good for the Kwanzan cherry blossoms. There’s more information on them, including how to find them, here.

      Reply
      • I’m in Washington now…my husband surprised with a trip to see the cherry blossoms…I hate to inform you the bloomed 3/25 & I arrived today 4/1 @ 3:30 it looks like xmas. all cherries are off trees. you might see a couple of white trees with some, but not even a petal on the ground.
        sincerely,
        karen

        Reply
    • I’ll check in on them from time to time, and post updates, but I don’t follow them daily as with the main ones. But aim to have an update or two on them next week.

      Reply

Leave a Comment