Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 2, 2021

The cherry blossoms are past their prime now but have held up well so far against the rain, wind, and cold.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.
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The cherry blossoms reached peak bloom on March 17, 2024. That's the second-earliest on record.

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Latest Updates on the 2024 Bloom
Peak Bloom Forecasts in Detail

It’s cold for April, more like winter than spring. We even had some light snow flurries last evening in some areas. Over the past few days, we’ve had rain, wind, and a brief return of cool temperatures. So how have the blossoms held up?

Very well, overall. They’re past their prime now, some petals are coming off, and the occasional branch is leafing out, but the cherry blossoms are still looking beautiful. Each day they get a little more fragile and vulnerable to wind and rain. There’ll be more petals on the trees today than tomorrow. And more tomorrow than Sunday. And so on. But for now, you really have to look up close to see the change. From a distance, they’re still looking wonderful.

So far, the National Park Service hasn’t had to close off the area, but they remain ready to do so if it gets too crowded over the weekend. Today marks the beginning of the original NPS peak bloom forecast window, and I’ve heard from many readers who have planned a visit to the Tidal Basin around this weekend.

If you’ve been lucky enough to make it along to the Tidal Basin in person this year and have some photos you’d like to share, please see the section towards the bottom of this page on how to submit them to the Reader Photos, 2021 Edition.

UPDATE: The Kenwood neighborhood, a popular alternative to the Tidal Basin, has announced plans to restrict traffic this weekend. You can find more details here.

First, though, here are some photos from this morning to give a sense of how the cherry blossoms are looking today.

Photo of  taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin - April 2, 2021 taken by David Coleman.

Reader Photos

Reader photo submissions for 2021 are now closed.

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