Washington, D.C

Near-record-early peak bloom for cherry blossoms in Washington, DC, National Park Service declares

Published

4 months ago

March 18, 2024

Near-record-early peak bloom for cherry blossoms in Washington, DC, National Park Service declares

It is official, the Washington, D.C. cherry blossoms were at peak bloom on March 17. On Monday, visitors wasted no time checking out the clouds of flowers across the parks.

WASHINGTON – “Considerably earlier” than the average peak date, the cherry blossoms in the nation’s capital are in peak bloom. The National Park Service declared peak bloom on March 17.

Historically, the flowers tend to reach peak bloom between the last week of March and the first week of April, with an average date of April 3, according to the National Park Service. So, this is more than two weeks ahead of schedule. St. Patrick’s Day was also a week ahead of the National Park Service’s March 6 forecast of March 23-26.

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This date is just days behind the record-earliest peak bloom, which was March 15, 1990. And if you are wondering, the latest peak was April 18, 1958, according to the National Park Service.

Why did flowers bloom so early

And that date depends on the weather.

“We’re coming off what has been the warmest January on record in Washington,” National Mall spokesperson Mike Litterst told FOX Weather in early March, adding that February was one of the top-10-warmest Februarys on record. “So, a much warmer than average winter so far.”

US JUST HAD ITS WARMEST WINTER IN HISTORY THANKS TO EL NINO

He said that the speedy blooms went from the first day of the bloom cycle, called green bud, to a visible floret in just three days. That is the fastest the buds grew from stage one to two in the last 20 years.

The first five of six stages of the Yoshino cherry tree bloom cycle.

(National Park Service / FOX Weather)

How long the blooms stick around depends on the weather too.

“Ideally, once we get to peak bloom, we want the temperatures to cool off. Because while we’re all excited about the flowers, the trees have one more stage to go. They have to go from flowers to leaves,” Litterst said. “Warmer temperatures will accelerate that process. Cooler temperatures will keep the flowers on the trees a little longer.”

And keep severe weather away at all costs, he continued. High winds and heavy rain will tear petals from the flowers.

WHY DC HAS JAPANESE CHERRY BLOSSOMS

How long do visitors have to see the peak bloom?

“Under the best of conditions, we can get maybe as much as two weeks out of the blossoms,” Litterst said. “Rule of thumb, 7 to 10 days, usually.”

Unfortunately, the blossoms wait for no one. The National Cherry Blossom Festival doesn’t kick off until March 20 and runs through April 14.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

The cherry blossoms, called "sakura," serve as a motif throughout the festival events. Here, balloons in the shape of cherry blossoms float above a parade.

File: The cherry blossoms, called “sakura,” serve as a motif throughout the festival events. Here, balloons in the shape of cherry blossoms float above a parade.

(Doug Van Sant / National Cherry Blossom Festival / FOX Weather)

Don’t fret, though. The National Park Service defines “peak bloom” as the day that 70% of the Yoshino cherry blossoms are open. The Kwanzan cherry trees bloom about two weeks later than the Yoshino. The Yoshino create single white blossoms, which create the effect of white clouds around the Tidal Basin, according to the National Park Service.

The Kwanzan trees produce heavy clusters of double pink blossoms. They are primarily in East Potomac Park.

SIGNS OF SPRING SPOTTED IN NEW YORK AS CHERRY TREES BLOOM

File: A flowering Kwanzan cherry blossom branch.

(DeAgostini / Getty Images)

There are about 3,800 cherry trees of a dozen different species within the National Mall, Memorial Parks and West Potomac Park.

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Washington, D.C

D.C.’s Friday weather seemed special for being ordinary

Published

12 mins ago

July 26, 2024

Press Room

D.C.’s Friday weather seemed special for being ordinary

D.C. may take pride in its reputation for sultry summertime swelter, but Friday seemed the sort of day for wondering what all the fuss was about and whether the reputation was deserved.

It was true that Friday seemed obviously a summer day. Its high temperature of 85 degrees seemed clearly consistent with general expectations of summertime.

But Friday failed to inflict on the District the harsh meteorological extremism of many days earlier this month — including the four with temperatures above 100 degrees.

However, if averages mean much, they may suggest that days such as Friday cannot readily be relied on to appear here always or often in July.

The average temperature in Washington on Friday’s date now stands at 90 degrees. So it would seem that part of Friday’s allure lay in the five-degree gap between its temperature and the District’s average July 26 temperature.

Possibly Friday’s sense that summer had a benign side, might have been earned physiologically. The many days of extreme and above average temperatures this summer have likely caused acclimatization and a process of adjustment.

But cloudy skies also played an obvious part in moderating Friday’s conditions.

For much of the day, clouds shielded the city from the wilting effects of the summertime sun. It is just a little more than five weeks since the sun was at its absolute annual acme.

Feeling its full late-July strength for protracted periods in the glare of streets without shade, with solar rays reflected from concrete and marble would have made Friday seem far less comfortable than it did.

A major contributor to Friday’s welcome as a well-behaved emissary of summer was the humidity. Or the relative absence thereof.

When summer seems to be at its most intolerable it is ascribed to the joint effect of severe heat and oppressive humidity. Friday was neither too hot nor too humid.

To know the absolute temperature was to know the “feels-like” temperature. Through the day, they were close to identical, meaning that humidity declined to make an 85-degree day seem worse than it was.

This was reflected in the day’s dew points, which were confined to the 50s, a location regarded as comfortable.

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Washington, D.C

D.C. Bars and Restaurants Getting Into the Olympic Spirit

Published

7 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Press Room

D.C. Bars and Restaurants Getting Into the Olympic Spirit

Astro Doughnuts just unleashed adorably chic sweets decorated with Olympic rings and medals.

Scott Suchman

During the last Summer Olympics in Tokyo, we were just emerging from the pandemic and the competition was played in front of a mostly empty audience. Fast forward a few years, and Paris is the backdrop for sport’s biggest stage and millions are expected to descend upon the City of Lights to watch their country hopefully bring home a medal.

For those opting to remain stateside, there are plenty of restaurants in our nation’s capital getting into the Olympic spirit. Think fabulous French bites, themed beverages, and live broadcasts of select events. There are enough participating spots to visit a different one every day of the Games (July 26-August 11). Eater just obtained D.C.’s list of 74 bars that got the okay to stay open around the clock — and serve alcohol from 6 a.m. to 4 a.m. — during the duration of the Olympics, which includes well-known names like Service Bar, Vera, Mission, Capo Deli, and Midlands.

Scroll on to find out where to cheer on Team USA’s athletes while partaking in limited-edition food and drinks.

Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

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Washington, D.C

Bigger, stronger, safer: DC’s new Douglas Street pedestrian bridge reopens – WTOP News

Published

14 hours ago

July 26, 2024

Press Room

Bigger, stronger, safer: DC’s new Douglas Street pedestrian bridge reopens – WTOP News

The Douglas Street pedestrian bridge’s construction took three years and $17 million to rebuild, after it collapsed in June of 2021 after being struck by the load of a large truck.

Thousands of pedestrians in Ward 7 will be safer Thursday thanks to the reopening of the Douglas Street Pedestrian Bridge over Kenilworth Avenue.

“It’s safer, it’s wider, and it’s better lit,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser at the bridge’s grand opening on Thursday. “It has improved sidewalks.”

At the inaugural walk across the new bridge, the mayor — joined by the city’s Department of Transportation and members of the community — pointed out that people of all abilities will have an easier time using the bridge.

“Whether they are using a cane or a wheelchair, they will be able to access this very important pedestrian asset,” Bowser said.

The bridge crosses over the I-295 corridor in Northeast and will help those that live in the neighborhoods of Parkside, Mayfair and Eastland Gardens get to the Deanwood Metro station.

The bridge’s construction cost about $17 million.

“I’m 61 years old, I don’t like going all the way around,” said Claude McCain, of Kenilworth. He told WTOP that the new pedestrian bridge will save him 40 minutes of extra walking a day.

The original Douglas Street Pedestrian Bridge was built in the 1950s and had become structurally damaged and was deteriorating, according to D.C. officials.

“It was low. It ended before the service lanes. It was really unsafe for pedestrians,” said Sharon Kershbaum, acting director of D.C.’s Department of Transportation. “This is an upgrade in every sense of the way.”

She told WTOP that nearly $14 million of the $17 million bridge was funded by grants from the federal government.

After the inaugural walk across the bridge, Mayor Bowser expressed appreciation to the members of DDOT that were in attendance.

“I want to say thank you to all the people you see in the yellow jackets because they were able to get this bridge up and keep the highway open,” Bowser said.

WTOP’s Ciara Wells contributed to this report.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the Douglas Street Pedestrian Bridge collapsed in 2021. The Lane Place bridge actually collapsed in 2021 after being struck by a truck. Our article has been updated with the correct information, and we apologize for the error.

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