It's a beautiful, crisp morning. The temperatures are still in the 30s, but in the sun it's actually quite pleasant. It's very still, and there's not a cloud in the sky. But it won't last. It'll warm a bit today, but things go downhill tomorrow through at least the weekend.
There's not a lot to report in terms of progress with the cherry blossoms. The buds are still doing their thing, tightly packed away. You can compare the photos below to ones a year ago here.
No peak bloom forecasts have been issued yet. Typically the National Park Service holds a press conference at the beginning of March to announce their preliminary prediction. The Capital Weather Gang usually issues theirs around the same time. So although we don't have any forecasts for now, we should get some within a few weeks. I'll update the 2015 Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom Forecasts page as soon as we hear something.
In the meantime, here's how the trees are looking this morning.
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.