Looking to sneak out of the office early today? The famous Washington, D.C. cherry blossoms are now in their full glory, and temperatures in D.C. are forecast to be near 70 degrees later today.
The National Park Service in Washington, D.C. announced yesterday that the city's famous cherry trees have reached their peak bloom.
Under ideal conditions the best viewing wil be during the next three to five days, but with rain, sleet, and yes, snow in the forecast for tomorrow, it's uncertain how long the viewing period will be. In normal years, blooms remain for up to two weeks, but of course the weather this year has been anything but normal. After an unusally warm February, blooms were expected to be early. But then March came along with colder than normal temperatures and pushed everything back.
For tips on visiting the nation's capital, click to our See The Bay: Washington, D.C. article from the March issue.
Most of us remember from history class that the trees were a gift from Japan in 1912. But did you know that the original shipment of approximately 2000 trees, which arrived in 1910, were infested with insects and were diseased, and that the Department of Agriculture concluded they should be destroyed? With President Taft's approval, nearly all the trees were burned. But determination and goodwill won the day; Japan sent another shipment that not only replaced the originals, but added an additional thousand trees, bringing the total to aproximately 3000. Learn more about the history of the trees here.
