2018 Washington DC Cherry Blossoms Homepage2018 Washington DC Cherry Blossoms

Have Camera Will Travel

Cherry Blossom Watch Updates

A master list of all the Cherry Blossom Watch Updates since 2010.

2018 |2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010

Reader Photos 2018 | Part 4

These are some of the beautiful photos of 2018’s bloom of the cherry blossoms that were submitted by Cherry Blossom Watch readers. This is part 4.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 13, 2018

The cherry blossom snow is coming down more steadily now as petals get knocked off in the breeze. The trees aren't looking as white and fluffy as they had been, especially up close, but as of late this morning they were still looking pretty.

Reader Photos 2018 | Part 3

These are some of the beautiful photos of 2018’s bloom of the cherry blossoms that were submitted by Cherry Blossom Watch readers. This is part 1--more to come.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 12, 2018

A week after peak bloom the cherry blossoms are still looking very pretty, but if you look up close you can clearly see that they're past their prime now. More petals have been coming off, and more green leaves are poking through.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 11, 2018

Petals are starting to come off, but for now it’s a very gentle pace. The cold weather has slowed development down and kept the green leaves at bay. So the cherry blossoms are still holding up well and looking beautiful.

Reader Photos 2018 | Part 2

These are some of the beautiful photos of 2018’s bloom of the cherry blossoms that were submitted by Cherry Blossom Watch readers. This is part 1--more to come.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 10, 2018

The cherry blossoms are still going strong and looking lovely. Some light showers overnight didn't have much effect, and the petals are coming off only very slowly for now.

Reader Photos 2018 | Part 1

These are some of the beautiful photos of 2018’s bloom of the cherry blossoms that were submitted by Cherry Blossom Watch readers. This is part 1--more to come.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 8, 2018

Despite a chilly breeze, this morning at the Tidal Basin is quite spectacular, and the cherry blossoms are looking fluffy and full and magnificent. It's a prime viewing day.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 4, 2018

The cherry blossoms are in full bloom now. While not every tree is fully out, most are. They're on track for peak bloom in the coming days, and the National Park Service yesterday tweaked their peak bloom prediction again, bringing it forward to Thursday through Sunday (April 5-8).

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 3, 2018

The blossoms themselves are shaping up nicely for later in the week. Many of them are in full bloom now, although there are still some holdouts that haven't started properly yet.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 2, 2018

Sunny and warm conditions through the weekend brought more flowers out, and they're looking lovely as they move into full bloom. It now looks increasingly likely that peak bloom will come ahead of the predicted dates.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 31, 2018

If you head down to the Tidal Basin this weekend you won’t have any trouble whatsoever finding cherry blossoms out. The warm weather of the past few days has worked its magic in bringing more flowers out.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 29, 2018

It’s now getting much easier to find at least a few blossoms coming out. Quite a few of the trees are starting to show a few flowers each, and while it's still only a tiny proportion of the total, they're easy to find all the way around the Tidal Basin.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 26, 2018

The slow trickle continues. It's becoming a little easier to find some scattered flowers out this morning, but most of them aren't there yet. But if milder temperatures arrive later in the week, as expected, it will inject some energy into their progress.

Peak Bloom Predictions Revised Again

Both the National Park Service and the *Washington Post*'s Capital Weather today revised their peak bloom predictions, pushing them back even further. Both are now predicting April 8 to 12.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 19, 2018

There's not much new on the trees since yesterday, but I've been getting a lot of questions about things like how this week's weather forecast will affect things and how this coming weekend is shaping up. So I'm focusing below mostly on answering some of the most common questions.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 12, 2018

There's been steady progress, but with the continuing cool temperatures it has been slow. There are some flowers starting to come out on the so-called indicator tree, but it's not yet in full bloom. The vast majority still have some work to do before they're getting really close to blooming.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 8, 2018

There's been some progress, but it's at a gentle pace in these cool temperatures. The indicator tree is just starting to show some puffy white blossoms that are ready to pop.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 6, 2018

The buds are still doing their thing and still have a way to go before blooming. There's some unsettled weather coming up over the next week or so, but it shouldn't pose too many problems for the cherry trees.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 1, 2018

Around the Tidal Basin, the buds are clearly making progress. And, as usual, the so-called indicator tree is marching ahead of the others. It's typically a week to 10 days ahead. Stay tuned for the National Park Service peak bloom prediction to be issued later this morning.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: February 27, 2018

The National Park Service determined that 70 percent of the buds had reached the "Green Buds" stage on February 25. That is just a day later than last year and is earlier than the average.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: January 31, 2018

The short version is that there's still not much to report. The cherry trees are still in their winter mode and aren't showing any signs of the buds developing yet. No peak bloom forecasts have been issued yet. Expect those to start coming in about 4 to 5 weeks.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: January 19, 2018

The first update in the 2018 Cherry Blossom Watch! For now, the Tidal Basin is covered in ice and there's nothing to see in terms of bud development. It's still too early to have any real idea of when the cherry blossoms will reach peak bloom in 2018, but here's a rundown of where things stand.

Reader Photos 2017 | Part 3

This is the final installment of reader photos for this year. Thanks to all who shared their beautiful photos!

Reader Photos 2017 | Part 1

Here are some great photos of 2017’s bloom of the cherry blossoms that were submitted by Cherry Blossom Watch readers. This is part 1.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 31, 2017

The cherry blossoms are past their prime now and well on their way out. The persistent rain is knocking a lot of petals off, but there are still plenty of petals left on the trees.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 28, 2017

Now that we're at three days after the peak bloom day, the cherry blossoms are turning pink and still looking great, but they're also becoming fragile. The rain is knocking petals off and blanketing the ground with cherry blossom snow.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 26, 2017

The cherry blossoms reached peak bloom yesterday. As expected, the bloom this year is a little more subdued than usual simply because it's firing with only half its usual firepower. Despite that, though, they're putting on a beautiful show. Over the next few days the blossoms will gradually go from white to a pale pink.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 22, 2017

They're not yet in full bloom, but they've taken a big step in that direction in the past 24 hours. Once we get through freezing temperatures tonight, things are shaping up beautifully for the weekend.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 16, 2017

Where there should be white and pink there's now a lot of brown. Many of the ones that were in the late stages right before fully blooming have been damaged badly. But it's by no means all of them.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 15, 2017

They're taking a beating now and damage is becoming more widespread. While there's still a good number soldiering on, it's not clear how many have sustained internal damage that's not visible or how many will be able to ride out the next two cold nights.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 13, 2017

Not much change since yesterday. Another cold night. Some of the blossoms are clearly struggling and succumbing to the freezing temperatures, but overall I'm impressed with how well most of them seem to be holding up so far.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 11, 2017

So far, so good. There's not a lot of visual evidence of damage from the cold temperatures yet, but it's early days--there's a lot more to come. In terms of flowers, there's basically the same amount out today as yesterday.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 10, 2017

Many of the trees are a few warm days away from full bloom. But we're not going to be getting warm days anytime soon. Instead, we'll see several days of cold winter weather. That's going to slow things down. It also has the potential to do some real damage.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 9, 2017

As expected, the warm weather yesterday coaxed a few more flowers out. It's still not many, but more trees have a few flowers starting to show. The warm weather today will coax some more out. It's nothing like full bloom yet--it's still very few flowers in the context of the whole--but if you go hunting you can at least find some blossoms out.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 8, 2017

A few more trees have started popping their first flowers, although it's still only very few in terms of the total number of trees around the Tidal Basin. A few warms days should coax more out before an arctic blast hits on the weekend to stir things up.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 7, 2017

The cool weather of the past few days brought things to a crawl, but now that we're entering a warmer stretch the pace should start picking up again. It looks like we might see a drawn-out bloom this year.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 6, 2017

After a chilly weekend, there's not much change in the trees. A small handful of trees are still flowering, while the others are in a wide spread of development stages.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 1, 2017

More flowers are out on the indicator tree, and a handful of different varieties of cherries are starting to join it with their first flowers. Most of the trees range somewhere between the green buds and extensions of florets stages.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: February 20, 2017

It certainly feels like spring, with warm temperatures and clear skies. And it's starting to look like spring too, with the first daffodils starting to come out and the first green buds appearing on the cherry trees around the Tidal Basin.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: February 13, 2017

It's sunny and windy. The warmer than normal temperatures we're still seeing--and expect to see for a while yet--continue to tilt the odds in favor of an earlier bloom. And there's an early spring treat just across the road from the Tidal Basin.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: January 30, 2017

We had a little snow last night. Just enough to be pretty without causing any headaches. But with January closing out it'll end up being warmer than normal for the month. That's on the back of a December where average temperatures were also above normal.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: January 21, 2017

There's not much new to report since the last update, although temperatures have remained warmer than normal, and it looks like we'll close out January with temperatures above average for the month.

Cherry Blossoms in November?

Yes, it happens, even as the leaves are turning reddish-brown and falling off. There are several autumn-blooming cherry trees around the National Mall.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: Fall 2016 Edition

The cherry trees around the Tidal Basin are also looking very colorful at the moment, but not in the way they're best known for. Many of the leaves are turning an orange or reddish brown, making for quite a pretty sight all the way around the water's edge.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 2, 2016

The cherry blossoms are mostly done now. There are a few late stragglers still hanging on despite the rain, but strong winds tonight and tomorrow morning will likely be a knockout punch.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 30, 2016

The trees are still looking lovely. When you get a up close you can certainly see that they're in transition. But from a distance they still look great and are holding up well.

Cherry Blossoms in 360°

For those who aren't able to make it in person this year, here's a 360° interactive video I shot early this morning at several spots around the Tidal Basin.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 20, 2016

It doesn't feel much like the first day of spring, but there are more cherry blossoms popping. It's still a minority, but more and more are coming out each day despite of the cold weather.

2018 Cherry Blossom 10 Miler

If you plan to visit the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin on the morning of Sunday, April 2, 2017, you'll have to contend with the annual running of the Cherry Blossom 10-miler.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 3, 2015

We're expecting the National Park Service to issue their first peak bloom forecast later today. In the meantime, here are some photos of how the trees are looking this morning.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: February 18, 2015

Like much of the northeast, DC is getting a good dose of winter this past week with snow and bitterly cold weather. The cherry trees are weathering this cold snap just fine. The buds are still in their early stages and well protected.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 15, 2014

The cherry blossoms are mostly done now. Most trees have dropped all or nearly all of their petals and are starting to be covered with green leaves. If you go hunting, you can find the occasional tree that's lagging behind and still has some pink blossoms, but they're few and far between. But the Kwanzan Cherry Blossoms not far away are just starting to come out.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 13, 2014

It's another beautiful spring morning, and the cherry blossoms are still in full bloom. There are more petals on the ground now, and when you look closely you can find green leaves poking through on more branches, but overall the blossoms are still in their prime.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 11, 2014

The cherry blossoms are looking glorious. They're in full bloom, and it'll be prime viewing over the weekend. On some trees, you can spot some of the green leaves poking through, but for the most part they're covered in beautiful white flowers in their prime.

NPS Calls Peak Bloom as April 10

The National Park Service this morning judged that 70 percent of the cherry blossoms were open today, making this year's peak bloom date April 10.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 9, 2014

It's a sparkling spring morning down at the Tidal Basin. There's a bit of a chill in the air and a slight breeze, but otherwise it's a very pleasant morning. The trees are looking beautiful, and it'll be prime viewing from today through the weekend.

The Blossoms at Dumbarton Oaks

The cherry blossoms at Dumbarton Oaks are in the puffy white stage and haven't yet started opening. But there are some other beautiful trees in bloom there, including Japanese Plum trees and Tulip Magnolias.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 7, 2014

The National Park Service has decided that as of today 70 percent of the blossoms have reached the "puffy white" stage. And while some trees are white with fully open blossoms, others are still lagging behind.

Boat Services to the Cherry Blossoms

There's a new boat landing point on the bank of the Potomac next to the FDR Memorial, adding a new, scenic option for getting to and from the cherry blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 26, 2014

After yet another round of cold, wintry, and snowy weather, the cherry blossoms--along with all the other flowering trees and plants in the area--are still well behind their average schedule. Comparing the photos from this time in 2013, we're still tracking behind last year.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 19, 2014

We have the first signs of green tips coming through as the buds get more pronounced. From a distance, there's the first hint of the reddish brown tint the trees will get as the buds change color and get larger.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 5, 2014

The National Park Service has issued its first peak bloom forecast for the season, but there's still plenty of snow around the Tidal Basin. The buds are getting more prominent, but they're still wrapped tight.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: February 8, 2014

It's still cold. There's still a layer of ice covering much of the Tidal Basin. And the weather forecast for the coming week is still very much a winter forecast. In other words, there's still a ways to go before we start seeing some cherry blossom action.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: January 29, 2014

It's cold. Local temperatures have been consistently dipping down to the low teens or single digits at night, and days have rarely peaked above freezing. The Tidal Basin and Potomac are both frozen and covered in a fresh layer of snow, topped up by a light snowfall overnight.

David Coleman Photography

I’m a professional travel & location photographer based in Washington DC and traveling all over. Seven continents. Dozens of countries. Up mountains. Under water. And a bunch of places in between. You can find my main site at havecamerawilltravel.com. Or check out what’s in my go-to travel photography kit. Or get in touch here.

Licensing & Prints

Looking for travel stock photos or prints? I might be able to help. You can search my collection here:

If you already have a buyer account with Alamy and would prefer to use that, you can search my images directly here.

Twitter @havecamera