"We're on the cusp," he said. The official announcement of predicted peak bloom dates is scheduled for 11 a.m. The National Cherry Blossom Festival runs from March 20 through April 16, 2023.

In 2024, stage 1 began March 2, but that was vastly different from 2023's cherry blossom season. Budding began on Feb. 23, 2023, with stage 3 starting on March 7, 2023 and peak bloom beginning on ...