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D.C. cherry blossoms are (almost) in peak bloom

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WASHINGTON — The beloved cherry blossom trees at the Tidal Basin in Washington should reach peak bloom in the next couple of days, according to the National Park Service.

On Saturday, the National Mall said the blossoms were starting to show and are currently in stage 5 — known as the "puffy white" stage. The next stage will be peak bloom, but, as of Tuesday, the blossoms still hadn't reached peak.

The peak bloom date is defined as the day when 70% of the Yoshino Cherry blossoms are open. Peak bloom varies annually depending on weather conditions.

The most likely time to reach peak bloom is between the last week of March and the first week of April. This year, the National Park Service said the peak bloom projection is between March 22 and March 25.

Once the blossoms reach peak, they will stay that way for a few days depending on the weather.

Extraordinary warm or cool temperatures have resulted in peak bloom as early as March 15 (1990) and as late as April 18 (1958).

You can view the Tidal Basin live here.

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