How long do cherry blossoms last? Will peak bloom be affected by cooler temperatures?

WASHINGTON - D.C.’s iconic flowering trees are putting on a spectacle around the Tidal Basin now that they’ve reached peak bloom! But how long do cherry blossoms last and will they be affected by the cooler temperatures?

READ MORE: Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off: Here's the history behind DC's iconic blooms

How long do cherry blossoms last?

National Park Service officials estimate that peak bloom for the cherry blossoms will last for about 10 days. The cherry blossoms officially reached peak bloom on March 17. Peak bloom is defined as when 70% of the city’s 3,700 cherry trees will be flowering.

This year’s peak bloom is the second earliest in history. The earliest peak bloom recorded was March 15, 1990, according to NPS. 

"Emerging from the warmest January on record, this has been a particularly puzzling year to read the trees and established date for peak bloom," said Jeff Reinbold, the superintendent of the National Mall and memorial parks for the National Park Service, back in February.

Steadily rising global temperatures and the fact that the cherry trees never reached dormancy over the winter months have resulted in peak bloom creeping a little earlier.

READ MORE: Cherry blossoms reach peak bloom after warm weekend

Crowds gather along the Tidal Basin to see D.C.'s famous cherry blossoms on March 18, 2024.

Will cooler temperatures affect the cherry blossoms?

Warm weekend temperatures sped up the arrival of peak bloom. So, will cooler temperatures cause them to disappear sooner?

Not at all, said National Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst.

"Concern should be the last thing on anybody’s mind," Litterst said. "The cool weather is actually going to keep the blossoms on the trees a little bit longer than they might normally."

Litterst said the next phase after peak bloom is when we go from blossoms to leaves. Warm temperatures tend to speed up that process. "So, the cooler the temperatures, the longer the blossoms will stay before they become leaves," he said.

Litterst said temperatures of 27 degrees or below could do damage to the cherry blossom petals. But temperatures that low are not in the forecast.

FOX 5’s Tucker Barnes said winds shouldn’t be an issue either.  "I don't think the winds will be so strong that we're worried about cherry blossoms flying. But they will occasionally gust from 20-25 mph."

Crowds gather along the Tidal Basin to see D.C.'s famous cherry blossoms on March 18, 2024.

Best time to see the cherry blossoms?

Typically, there is a big rush before the sun comes up, especially with photographers who are looking for the perfect sunrise shot.

From, mid to late morning, there is usually a lull around the Tidal Basin.

The foot traffic starts to pick up after school and work and gets heavier and heavier until sunset. "The earlier you can get down here the better," Litterst said.

He also advised against climbing the cherry trees or picking the blossoms – two things that could potentially harm them.

READ MORE: Best spots to see cherry blossoms in DC -- besides the Tidal Basin