D.C.’s treasured cherry blossoms are expected to reveal themselves early this year, with some expected to reach peak bloom as soon as next week. The National Park Service said that, due to a milder-than-usual winter, many of the Yoshino trees had already begun to reveal their petals. The agency anticipates peak bloom to occur sometime between Wednesday, March 22, and Saturday, March 25.
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Some local scientists have said that earlier peak blooms are an indicator of climate change in the area. Matthew Morrison, an NPS arborist, told WTOP that rising waters at the Tidal Basin are also evidence of those changes, some of which may be a threat to the trees. “Now it’s encroaching and the trees are finding themselves submerged in water, the roots, like twice a day,” said Morrison. Special events welcoming the pink blossoms back to the Tidal Basin are scheduled to begin Saturday, March 18, with an evening “lantern walk” around the Tidal Basin led by rangers with the NPS. The official opening ceremony for the National Cherry Blossom Festival will be held at the Warner Theatre on March 25.
