How Washington, DC's famed cherry blossoms reveal impacts of climate change
Flowers from the cherry trees, which were gifted from Japan to the United States in 1912, have bloomed earlier in recent years.
In anticipation of the annual springtime National Cherry Blossom Festival, millions of people await the announcement of the peak bloom date of Washington, D.C.’s famous cherry blossoms each year.
Flowers from the cherry trees, which were gifted from Japan to the United States in 1912, have bloomed earlier in recent years. Warmer weather appears be the culprit, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson.
“Climate change is likely playing a role in this trend toward more earlier peak bloom dates,” Anderson said.
“The combination of warmer conditions is allowing the ground to thaw out earlier than it has in the past,” he added.
Lit pink at sunrise, cherry blossoms are in full bloom by the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, March 24, 2016. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Less snowfall in the D.C. area may also be contributing to the early bloom dates, according to Anderson.
A bare ground more readily absorbs the sun’s energy, which heats up the soil.
“We’re seeing more temperature extremes, especially record highs during the late winter and early spring, which may also be giving an unusually early and added boost to these growing buds,” Anderson said.
The average peak bloom date for cherry blossoms over a 96-year period has been April 4, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Since 1921, the date has shifted earlier by approximately five days, the EPA reported.
In both 2016 and 2017, the peak bloom date fell on March 25, according to data from the National Park Service.
“In 2015, the peak bloom lined up perfectly with when the [National Cherry Blossom Festival] parade occurred,” said Mike Litterst, communications director for the National Mall and Memorial Parks.
However, this doesn’t always happen, as the festival dates are planned out well in advance and variations in weather conditions make peak bloom dates difficult to predict.
Yoshino trees, which are the most common cherry tree types found in D.C., have bloomed near the start of the nearly month-long festival in recent years, with the festival sometimes missing the peak bloom date entirely, according to the EPA.
The bloom schedule for cherry blossoms and most flowers is phenological, which means that the timing of their bloom depends on the conditions of their environment, said Michelle Pettit, a climate and sustainability specialist for Just Energy, a natural gas and green energy provider.
“Researchers have noted that temperatures [in D.C.] have increased about 2.8 degrees Fahrenheit since 1946, with full blooms coming in early March rather than the normally predicted April dates,” Pettit said.
Earlier peak bloom dates mean that early blossoms are much more susceptible to being frozen or destroyed by late-season cold shots, according to Anderson.
This was the case in 2017, when about half of the Yoshino blossoms were lost due to a late-occurring frost between March 14 and 16, the National Park Service reported.
As cherry blossoms bloom earlier, they can also beat the phenological awakenings of bees, butterflies and other pollinators, noted Pettit.
“This, as the last decade of bee research has shown us, can be hugely detrimental, not just to those species, but to our environment as a whole,” Pettit said.
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