Cherry Blossom Festival Peak Bloom 2017: Here Are The Dates (ICYMI)

WASHINGTON, DC — It's officially March and the organizers of the National Cherry Blossom Festival have released their peak bloom dates for this year's blossoms, and not surprisingly, they're going to be coming in early thanks to the ridiculously warm weather we've had lately.

Festival organizers have pegged March 14 to 17 as the peak bloom dates, which is defined as when 70 percent or more of the cherry blossoms are open. Last year, we didn't hit peak bloom until March 25, and even that was pretty early. In 2015, 2014 and 2013, the peak bloom happened closer to mid-April.

Peak bloom occurs when 70 percent of blossoms on the Yoshino cherry trees surrounding the Tidal Basin open. It normally falls between the last week of March and the first week of April. This year, National Park Service horticulturists first observed green buds on Feb. 24, the earliest emergence since 2008.

If the peak bloom dates are correct, it would be the earliest we've reached that point in the 14 years that are listed on the National Park Service's website. We came close in 2012, when the peak bloom happened March 20.

The festival is held every year in D.C. to commemorate Japan's gift of 3,000 cherry trees to the District in 1912. The festival attracts about 1.5 million people to D.C. each year, making it one of the biggest tourism draws for the nation's capital.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival website has more information about the event.

Image via U.S. Department of Agriculture