Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 10, 2018

The cherry blossoms are still going strong and looking lovely. Some light showers overnight didn’t have much effect, and the petals are coming off only very slowly for now.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.
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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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The cherry blossoms are still going strong and looking lovely. Some light showers overnight didn’t have much effect, and the petals are coming off only very slowly for now.

It was a very nice sunrise this morning. A little misty, but otherwise clear. And cold, with temperatures in the upper 30s.

We’re still seeing temperatures well below normal, which is helping keep the flowers out. Later in the week, though, it’s going to warm up quite a lot–perhaps even cracking 80s–which will help hurry things along again. Any wind or rain will exacerbate that, and there’s a possibility of both from Thursday through at least the weekend.

Want to Share Your Best Photos?

Each year I post a selection of photos submitted by Cherry Blossom Watch Readers. It’s not a competition–just sharing the beautiful photos people have captured. You can see the first installment of the 2018 photos here. There’s more coming over the next few days.

The submissions for this year’s edition are now open, but the response has been phenomenal, so I’ll be closing it tomorrow morning. If you’d like to share some of your best shots of this year’s cherry blossoms, you can find more information as the submission form further down this page.

Submissions are now closed. Thanks to all who sent in photos!

Weekend Prospects

Weekend of April 14-15. They peaked this past Thursday (April 5), so we’re now coming up to a week after peak bloom. In ideal conditions they can last a week or more beyond peak–maybe even as much as two weeks–but the weather has been all over the place lately. But the past few days have been cool and calm, which is exactly what we want for the flowers to hang around. Come Thursday, though, temperatures will climb through the weekend and bring with them chances of gusty winds and perhaps some showers. Those won’t help things now that the flowers are getting more fragile.

I’ll be posting regular updates before the weekend so you can get a sense of how things are progressing.

How Things Look Today

Here are some photos taken early this morning to give a sense of how it looks today.

DC Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 10, 2018

DC Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 10, 2018

DC Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 10, 2018

DC Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 10, 2018
Some of the cherry blossom “snow” as petals come down.

DC Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 10, 2018

DC Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 10, 2018

DC Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 10, 2018

DC Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 10, 2018

DC Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 10, 2018

DC Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 10, 2018

DC Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 10, 2018

DC Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 10, 2018

DC Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 10, 2018

DC Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 10, 2018

DC Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 10, 2018

Logistics

I’ve put together some more detailed information in posts on how to get there and where to park:

The Maine Ave parking lot (near the paddle boats) is still closed for parking to make way for the Welcome Area. It will remain in place at least through April 15.

The special one-way traffic restrictions are in place along Ohio Drive, so you can’t enter down by the John Ericsson Memorial (the Lincoln Memorial end). Instead, you’ll have to do the circuit around the Jefferson Memorial.

Alternative Locations for Cherry Blossoms

The cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin aren’t the only cherry blossoms in town, and if you miss the ones there by a few days you might have more luck at some of the alternative locations nearby. The ones I’ve seen elsewhere in town have been behind the ones at the Tidal Basin, so if you’re coming into town next week or next weekend, you still might be able to catch cherry blossoms elsewhere around town. You can find some suggestions here.