Current 2019 Peak Bloom Forecasts:
National Park Service: April 3-6
Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang: April 1-5
The cherry tree buds are making slow but steady progress. They still have some work to do, and they're still quite far behind where they were this time last year, but a couple of very warm days today and tomorrow will help move things along a little.
There haven't been any updates to the initial peak bloom predictions, so the original ones still stand.
Elsewhere around town, more daffodils are being coaxed out. And the first magnolia buds are starting to pop, although there's still a ways until they're in full bloom. I'll be keeping an eye on those over the coming week or two and including them in the updates when I can.
Temperatures
Temperatures play a crucial role in the timing of the cherry blossom bloom. Warmer-than-normal temperatures bring them out earlier; cooler-than-normal temperatures bring them out later.
Here's how the pattern looks on a day-by-day basis so far this year. The blue line represents daily averages since the beginning of December; the red line represents the historical averages.
And here's how that translates into monthly averages:
- March: -3.2° (as of March 14)
- February: +3.2°
- January: +1.2°
- December: +3.8°
How it Looks at the Tidal Basin Today
It's warm and nice, but there's not much in the way of spring colors yet.
The Japanese Pagoda.
The MLK Memorial.
Where to Stay for the Cherry Blossoms?
If you're visiting from out of town and looking for ideas on where to stay, I've put together some suggestions here.
Latest Updates
How to Get Updates on the 2019 Cherry Blossoms
There are several ways to keep up to date with Cherry Blossom Watch updates.
CherryBlossomWatch.com This website is Cherry Blossom Watch HQ. New updates post here first. They're also more detailed and include more current photos than the other options below. So be sure to bookmark and check back often. If you'd like to receive instant automatic notifications directly from the website when new updates are posted, take a look at the browser notification option below.
Instagram. Follow the dedicated Instagram feed at @cherryblossomwatch. The posts are usually shorter and less detailed, but they include freshly taken photos and post more quickly. (And, if you're interested, you can also follow my main travel photography account at @havecamerawilltraveldc.)
Facebook. Follow the Cherry Blossom Watch Facebook page. This is a good way to know when new updates are posted on the website, but because of the way Facebook's newsfeed algorithm works, there's no guarantee that every update will show up in your feed.
Email Newsletter. To the right of the page (or bottom, if you're using a mobile device) you can find a signup form for the 2019 cherry blossom watch email newsletter. This is sent out as a digest of the latest updates every week or so when new updates have been posted. Please note that the email lists do not carry over year to year, so even if you signed up in 2018 you'll still need to sign up again for the 2019 list.
Browser Notifications. On desktop web browsers you can click on the red bell icon at the bottom right of the screen to sign up for push notifications. When new updates are posted you'll get a notification automatically right in your browser. Works in Chrome, Safari, and Firefox only, for now.
RSS. RSS feed
chris says
Thank you for all your advice and ideas! So easy to follow! We even booked a trip based on your recommendations and prospective bloom dates!
David says
Glad it's helpful! Fingers crossed that the timing holds!