The NPS judged that the Yoshino cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin reached peak bloom on March 23, 2023. They're now done for the year..
It's still cold and windy. The cold has kept progress at a snail's pace, and there's not much change from yesterday. Some cherry blossoms are starting to bloom, but it's still only a smattering compared to what's coming. Many of the trees still have some work to do before they're ready to pop.
Warmer temperatures, reaching into the 60s, are expected on Thursday and Friday. These will help move things along, and there will be many more flowers out over the weekend.
The National Park Service is expecting peak bloom next week. They posted a tweak yesterday to their prediction without actually going so far as revising their dates: “We're expecting peak bloom to arrive at the early side of our prediction (March 22-25) or even a few days before.”
Heads up:
West Basin Drive is closed. Ohio Drive still has normal traffic patterns and access as of this morning.
On Saturday, the Rock ‘n' Roll Marathon will result in some road closures downtown, around the Mall, and Memorial Bridge. The Tidal Basin will remain open.
The Welcome Area next to the MLK Memorial is scheduled to open on Saturday.
There's more info on these at the end of this post.
How It Looks This Morning
It's still cold and blustery, but it's also sunnier than yesterday.
West Basin Drive is closed for the Welcome Area setup and is scheduled to remain closed through April 6. The MLK Memorial and FDR Memorial remain open as usual to pedestrian traffic.
Ohio Drive traffic pattern is currently normal, but expect that to change any day now.
On Saturday (March 18), there will be a Rock ‘n' Roll Marathon downtown. Most of the course is not near the Tidal Basin, but it does run along a section of Constitution Ave, around the Lincoln Memorial, and over Memorial Bridge. As a result, there will be some road closures affecting the area to consider if you plan to drive, especially if you are coming from the northern side of the National Mall or from Arlington (Memorial Bridge will be closed). Check the road closure information they've posted as well as a street-by-street breakdown.
The Jefferson Memorial is still undergoing renovations. The current phase mainly affects the lower level inside, but there's some fencing and scaffolding at ground level outside. The main rotunda remains open. The exterior renovations to the dome are still looking great!
Parking lots A, B, and C mostly won't be available for visitor parking this year. They're being used as staging and storage areas for nearby construction on the Metro line.
