Washington, D.C

Cherry blossoms hit near-record early peak, a sign of climate change

Published

2 years ago

March 17, 2024

Cherry blossoms hit near-record early peak, a sign of climate change

Exceptionally warm March weather propelled Washington’s cherry blossoms to their second-earliest peak bloom in more than a century of records Sunday, reflecting the growing influence of human-caused climate change on the famed trees.

“PEAK BLOOM! PEAK BLOOM! PEAK BLOOM! Did we say PEAK BLOOM?!,” the National Park Service wrote on X at 4 p.m. Sunday. “The blossoms are opening & putting on a splendid spring spectacle.”

Sunday’s peak bloom at the Tidal Basin, about two weeks earlier than normal, tied with 2000 as the second earliest on record; only the March 15, 1990, bloom came sooner in observations that date to 1921. This year’s peak bloom was so early, it preceded the official start of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs from March 20 to April 14, and was also ahead of the earliest projections.

Peak bloom, the last phase of a six-stage bud development cycle, occurs when 70 percent of the cherry trees are flowering. The buds sped through this cycle in just 15 days, faster than any other year in at least the past two decades.

The early bloom fits right into recent trends.

As March temperatures have climbed over the past century, the average peak bloom date has advanced about six days, from April 4 to March 30. Including this year, each of the past five has seen the peak before March 29. Last year, it was on March 23 — more than a week early.

Temperatures this March have averaged more than 9 degrees above normal, ranking second warmest on record. Freezing temperatures haven’t occurred since Feb. 26.

The mild weather drew thousands to the Tidal Basin on Saturday and Sunday as the blossoms reached peak and temperatures soared into the mid-60s to low 70s, about 10 to 15 degrees above normal.

Groups flocked to catch a glimpse of the beloved tree known as Stumpy before it’s removed as part of multiyear plan to repair sea walls that have deteriorated since their construction. Some of the sea walls have settled by as much as five feet, the National Park Service said, while tidal water levels are increasing because of sea level rise — another indicator of climate change. As Stumpy reached peak bloom for the last time, floodwater surrounded it.

Elsewhere along the basin’s 2.1-mile trail Saturday, a bride and groom posed for photos under a cherry tree in full bloom near the Jefferson Memorial, taking advantage of cloudless skies and a gentle breeze.

Opposite the Jefferson, a crowd assembled for a gender reveal party. Pink glitter exploded under a cluster of cherry trees, presaging a baby girl. The flying glitter looked like cherry blossom petals blowing in the breeze.

Almost every cherry tree at the Tidal Basin attracted people taking selfies and pictures or providing shade for family picnics.

A favorable forecast may allow visitors to enjoy the blossoms for another week or so. Whereas rainy and windy weather can strip the blossom petals and curtail the peak bloom period, this week is predicted to be mostly dry.

Some gusty winds on Tuesday could dislodge petals, but breezes are forecast to ease after that.

The trend toward chillier weather should prolong the bloom period. (Very warm weather tends to shorten it.) As long as there isn’t an unforeseen hard freeze, which would cause petals to wilt, the highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s should help extend the blossoms’ shelf life.

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Washington, D.C

New AAPI-led Jaemi Theatre Company launches in DC

Published

24 minutes ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

New AAPI-led Jaemi Theatre Company launches in DC

Jaemi Theatre Company, a new AAPI-led theater company based in Washington, DC, officially launches this spring with its inaugural project, BAAL, a staged reading at the 2026 Atlas INTERSECTIONS Festival on Friday, March 6, at 7:30 PM at the Atlas Performing Arts Center.

Jaemi Theatre Company co-founder and playwright Youri Kim

Founded by Artistic Director Youri Kim and Artistic Associate Juyoung Koh, Jaemi Theatre was born out of a recognition that DC, one of the largest theater markets in the United States, had no company dedicated to centering Asian stories or led by Asian artists. The name “Jaemi” comes from a Korean word meaning “fun,” and in its Sino-Korean form, 在美, means both “to live in America” and “to live in beauty.”

“I kept hearing from companies that it was hard to find Asian actors, and I heard it so often that I started to believe it myself,” said Youri Kim. “But through building community with other AAPI theater artists in the area, I realized the talent was always here. What was missing was the infrastructure to connect us. Jaemi is that infrastructure.”

BAAL, an original work written by Youri Kim (not to be confused with Bertolt Brecht’s 1918 play of the same name), is a body horror drama set in a dystopian city where the air is toxic and birth is outlawed. In the city of Baal, citizens are forced into an impossible choice: terminate or sacrifice a family member. The play uses the language of biological mutation and bodily control to examine how systems of power decide who gets to exist and on what terms, questions that resonate deeply within AAPI and immigrant communities navigating structures that seek to define, contain, and assimilate them. The staged reading features a cast of seven and an original sound design.

BAAL plays as a staged reading Friday, March 6, 2026, at 7:30 PM in Lab Theatre II at the Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St NE, Washington, DC). Tickets ($29.75) are available online.

Looking ahead, Jaemi Theatre plans to host a founding party and fundraiser this fall, and will launch an Asian Writer Play Submission program in the second half of 2026. The program will pair playwrights from selected Asian countries with Asian playwrights based in DC for a workshop development process, building a pipeline that connects diasporic voices across borders.

For more information, visit yourikimdirector.com or follow @jaemitheatre on Instagram.

About Jaemi Theatre Company
Jaemi Theatre is a newly formed AAPI-led performance initiative based in Washington, DC, co-founded by Artistic Director Youri Kim and Artistic Associate Juyoung Koh. “Jaemi” is Korean for “fun” and, in its Sino-Korean form, means “to live in America” and “to live in beauty.” The company creates interdisciplinary performance rooted in diasporic imagination and radical storytelling. Jaemi is a home for the unfinished and the unassimilated, where performance holds contradiction without needing to resolve it.

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Washington, D.C

San Francisco Ballet cancels upcoming performances at Kennedy Center

Published

13 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

San Francisco Ballet cancels upcoming performances at Kennedy Center

Sunday, March 1, 2026 6:36AM

SF Ballet cancels upcoming performances at Kennedy Center

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — The San Francisco Ballet board has voted to cancel its upcoming performances at the Kennedy Center.

The company is scheduled for a four-day run in Washington D.C. in May.

Petition urges SF Ballet to cancel Kennedy Center tour stop as company opens 2026 season

Last year, Pres. Donald Trump overhauled the Kennedy Center’s board, including naming himself the chairman.

That led several artists to cancel scheduled performances.

A statement from SF Ballet says the group “looks forward to performing for Washington, D.C. audiences in the future.”

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Washington, D.C

97-year-old World War II veteran honored virtually at home

Published

1 day ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

97-year-old World War II veteran honored virtually at home

At 97, Veteran Harley Wero wasn’t up for a trip to the nation’s capital, so volunteers from the Western North Dakota honor flight brought the trip to him. Wero, his wife Muriel and their daughter Jennifer got to experience Washington, DC, without ever leaving their home.

Web Editor : Sydney Ross

Posted 2026-02-28T15:57:08-0500 – Updated 2026-02-28T15:59:05-0500

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