Current:Home > NewsD.C.'s cherry blossoms just hit their earliest peak bloom in 20 years. Here's why scientists say it'll keep happening earlier.-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
D.C.'s cherry blossoms just hit their earliest peak bloom in 20 years. Here's why scientists say it'll keep happening earlier.
View Date:2024-12-23 20:53:06
The iconic pink and white blossoms that transform Washington, D.C., at the beginning of spring have officially hit their earliest peak bloom recorded in at least 20 years. It's one of the earliest days it's happened in the area on record — and experts say it will likely keep shifting earlier.
Peak bloom occurs when 70% of the Yoshino cherry blossoms planted around D.C. open up. According to the National Park Service, this usually happens between the last week of March and the first week of April. From 2004 to 2023, the annual peak mostly occurred between March 25 and April 10, with a few exceptions where it happened as early as March 20.
The service predicted on its website that peak bloom would occur this year between March 23 and March 26, but in an update on Sunday, the service's National Mall and Memorial Parks posted an update on social media.
"PEAK BLOOM! PEAK BLOOM! PEAK BLOOM! Did we say PEAK BLOOM?!" the agency said. "The blossoms are opening & putting on a splendid spring spectacle."
The agency confirmed peak bloom arrived on March 17 on its website on Monday. But what exactly makes them open up earlier? Scientists and National Park officials say it all has to do with the weather.
"Peak bloom varies annually depending on weather conditions," the service says, adding that the typical bloom period also depends on weather conditions. "...Cool, calm weather can extend the length of the bloom, and a rainy, windy day can bring an abrupt end to the ephemeral blossoms. A late frost can prevent the trees from blooming at all."
D.C.'s predicted peak blossom season is expected to come just days after scientists with the Japan Meteorological Agency said cherry blossoms have been blooming earlier over time due to rising global temperatures.
Daisuke Sasano, a climate risk management officer at the JMA's Office of Climate Change, said in a briefing last week that overall, global temperatures have been increasing. Scientists have confirmed that 2023 was the hottest year on record and 2024 has already seen record-breaking heat.
"It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land. Climate change is already affecting every inhabited region across the globe, with human influence contributing to many observed changes in weather and climate extremes," his presentation said, citing the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. "Projected changes in extremes are larger in frequency and intensity with every additional increment of global warming."
Studying a sample cherry blossom tree — called sakura in Japanese — in Tokyo, Sasano said scientists found that the average start date for cherry blossoms to bloom in Japan has gotten earlier, moving up at a rate of roughly 1.2 days every decade. That rate has a "high" correlation with the average temperature, he said. And it's not just Tokyo — several major Japanese cities have seen earlier blooms over the past 30 years, including Osaka, Hiroshima and Sendai.
The earliest peak recorded in D.C. was March 15, 1990, according to the National Park Service, which added that this year marks the earliest peak in at least two decades. It comes as the D.C. saw above-average temperatures in both January and March. On Feb. 26, Weather Underground recorded a max temperature of 66 degrees Fahrenheit at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport – nearly 16 degrees above average.
Global temperatures are only expected to continue to rise, furthering weather extremes – and impacting cherry blossoms. Even if greenhouse gas emissions – a primary driver of global warming – drastically decrease worldwide today, the emissions already put into the atmosphere will continue to have an impact for decades to come.
Scientists with the non-profit group Climate Central have also said climate change is having an impact on blossoms. In 2018, the organization said that from 1931 to 1960, cherry blossoms in D.C. were blooming on average around April 6. From 1981 to 2010, however, the average was April 1. They also predict that in the future, blooms could happen as early as the first week of March.
Last year's cherry blossoms stayed on trees for a little over a week. But how long this year's bloom remains is still a question. The National Weather Service is expecting a cold front into the Northeast U.S. at the beginning of the week that could bring some snow and wind gusts of up to 30 mph across the region, and while cool and calm can extend the life of the blossoms, rain and wind can bring their end.
- In:
- Climate Change
- Earth
- National Park Service
- Environment
- Japan
- Washington D.C.
Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.
veryGood! (53)
Related
- Disruptions to Amtrak service continue after fire near tracks in New York City
- Bachelor Nation's Rachel Lindsay Details Family Plans and Journey With Husband Bryan Abasolo
- From loons to a Lab.: Minnesota's state flag submissions do not disappoint
- Iconic 1990s Philadelphia Eagles jacket like one worn by Princess Diana going on sale
- A growing and aging population is forcing Texas counties to seek state EMS funding
- US military chief says he is hopeful about resuming military communication with China
- Crew aboard a U.S.-bound plane discovered a missing window pane at 13,000 feet
- Maryland woman wins over $200,000 from Racetrax lottery game after husband criticizes her betting strategy
- US Diplomats Notch a Win on Climate Super Pollutants With Help From the Private Sector
- Baby shark born to single mother – without a father – after apparent parthenogenesis
Ranking
- Mike Tomlin's widely questioned QB switch to Russell Wilson has quieted Steelers' critics
- Taylor Swift’s Argentina concert takes political turn as presidential election nears
- Spain’s acting prime minister signs deal that secures him the parliamentary support to be reelected
- Taylor Swift’s Argentina concert takes political turn as presidential election nears
- Nicole Scherzinger receives support from 'The View' hosts after election post controversy
- Keke Palmer Files for Custody of Her and Darius Jackson's Baby Boy
- North Carolina orthodontist offers free gun with Invisalign treatment, causing a stir nationwide
- As olive oil's popularity rises over perceived health benefits, so do prices. Here's why.
Recommendation
-
Horoscopes Today, November 12, 2024
-
'Book-banning crusade' across the U.S.: What does it cost American taxpayers?
-
Abortion providers seek to broaden access to the procedure in Indiana
-
'The Killer' review: Michael Fassbender is a flawed hitman in David Fincher's fun Netflix film
-
Mississippi governor intent on income tax cut even if states receive less federal money
-
Federal judge puts Idaho’s ‘abortion trafficking’ law on hold during lawsuit
-
How Ryan Reynolds Supported Wrexham Player Anthony Forde's Wife Laura Amid Her Brain Tumor Battle
-
Koi emerges as new source of souring relations between Japan and China