DC Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 16, 2020

DC Cherry Blossoms in 2021

It seems increasingly likely that DC will still be under COVID-19 restrictions in spring 2021 while the cherry blossoms are blooming. So it's shaping up to be a good year to follow along from afar from the safety and comfort of your home.

The cherry blossoms are popping now. While you can find some trees in full bloom already, most of them are not quite there yet.

How it Looks at the Tidal Basin this Morning

It’s a pretty morning at the Tidal Basin, with only a light breeze holding it back from being a perfect spring morning after yesterday’s rain and clouds.

I’m posting these here not to encourage people to visit but rather for the many readers who have sensibly chosen to follow along from afar this year. Health officials strongly recommend avoiding crowded areas and practicing social distancing in order to help contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). To that end, I’m dispensing with the usual logistical information related to visiting the Tidal Basin area. And I will try to continue to post updates only when it’s possible for me to do so while still sticking to those recommendations. As you can see from the photos, people are clearly heeding the advice so far.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - March 16, 2020 taken by David Coleman.

Taken with a Nikon D850 and Nikon 105mm ƒ/2.8G macro lens.

Taken with a Nikon Z7 + 24-70mm ƒ/4 lens.

Taken with a Nikon D850 and Nikon 105mm ƒ/2.8G macro lens.

March 16

Early Bloomer

This is a tree I typically track through the blooming process, trying to focus in on the same specific small section to be able to see the day-by-day progress.

This is a different variety and is separate from the indicator tree (on the opposite side of the Tidal Basin), but it reliably marches ahead of the other trees by several days.

It’s also a good illustration of how even just a few days can make a big difference.

March 16