Spring turned the volume up to 11 today. Clear, sunny, and warm. And it brought people out in droves. Anyone who made the mistake of trying to drive in probably spent a lot of time stuck in traffic jams.
The trees are in their prime right now. Some of the very earliest to bloom, especially some of the young ones at the MLK Memorial, have already started losing their flowers and getting their leaves. And around the Tidal Basin, a gust of wind makes it look like it's snowing petals. But the vast majority of trees are putting on quite a show.
The blossoms will be well on their way out by mid week, so I'd recommend getting down there today, tomorrow, or Monday if you can.
The weather forecast for tomorrow is for another beautiful day. If you plan to head down to the Tidal Basin, you'll save yourself a lot of hassle by finding some way to get there other than driving in (here are some ideas). If you need convincing, some of the photos below should do the trick.
Want to Help Support DC's Cherry Trees?
If you'd like to help support the care and upkeep of the cherry trees around the Tidal Basin, the Trust for The National Mall has launched an Endow a Cherry Tree Campaign. Donations go to the official Cherry Tree Endowment, which will give the National Park Service additional resources to fund the care, maintenance, and possible replacement of the cherry trees. You can find more information here.
The Trust is dedicated to marshaling private support for maintaining and improving the history National Mall area. I'm not affiliated with the Trust--just an admirer of their efforts.