Cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C., tied for their second-earliest peak bloom record on Sunday following some warm final days of winter that have seen temperatures reach the 70s, per the National Park Service.
Research shows cherry trees are blossoming earlier in D.C. and Japan due to climate change, and new data indicates that spring is getting warmer on average in the District of Columbia and nationwide.
Cherry trees blossoming early makes them vulnerable to any quick cold snap, which can still occur at this time of year, even if temperatures have been warmer overall.
“Approximately half of the Yoshino blossoms were lost due to a late frost that occurred March 14-16, 2017,” per a statement by the National Park Service in analysis of the trees’ peak bloom trends.
Climate Central analysis of National Weather Service data out last week shows the average spring temperature in D.C. has increased 3.6 degrees from 1970 to 2023.
And while spring is warming, the season is also coming in sooner at the winter margin.
Read more here from Axios News.
