The National Park Service yesterday issued their first prediction of the season for when they think the cherry blossoms will reach peak bloom: between April 8 and 12.
But in a sign of what a long and cold winter this has been, even as the NPS was talking about the peak bloom, the trees were still covered in snow after another snowstorm on Monday that brought the city to a halt. Temperatures then plummeted to low teens and single digits in the region. In other words, winter isn't done with us yet.
Today and the next few days are likely to be slightly warmer than we've had lately, so the snow is gradually melting.
As you can see from the close-ups below, the buds are still wrapped tight, but they're becoming more prominent.
