Could DC cherry blossoms arrive early this year due to warm January weather?

Will DC's cherry blossoms come early this year?

It is not your imagination if you think it's been a warm kick-off for 2023! So warm in fact that some people are seeing a few of the trees down at the Tidal Basin starting to show signs of flowering.

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - It is not your imagination if you think it's been a warm kick-off for 2023! So warm in fact that some people are seeing a few of the trees down at the Tidal Basin starting to show signs of flowering.

Let's give you a little climate perspective: Since the beginning of the year, D.C. has seen the third-warmest start on record with just two days trending below average. Our warmest day so far this year was Jan. 3 at 69 degrees, making it almost 25 degrees above normal.

Snow? So far, a big fat zero, and the trend through the next seven days is not looking to bring us any major snow events.

FOX 5 Weather forecast for Tuesday, January 17

Claire Anderson has the FOX 5 Weather forecast for Tuesday, January 17

So far this month, our temperatures are running nearly nine degrees above normal.

With the recent warm spell, does that mean early cherry blossoms?

Cherry blossoms reach full bloom

Cherry blossoms are in their full glory -- officially at peak bloom! Mike Thomas reports from the Tidal Basin.

According to the experts, of the 3,700 trees in any given year, a select few are very sensitive to warm temperatures and have a tendency to bloom earlier than the others.

It is very unlikely that we will see peak bloom any time soon. In fact, the earliest recorded peak bloom was on March 15, 1990, which is still 2 months away.

FOX 5 DC ARCHIVES March 17, 1990: Early Cherry Blossom bloom

An early bloom of the Cherry Blossoms in DC was a surprise on March 15th, however, rain washed away some of the buds. Here's a brief report from that day.

You can still head down to the basin and get a sneak peek at a few of the trees doing their thing a little early. However, we still have a lot of winter left before the big blossom arrives!