Apr 7, 2015

It’s that time of year again – a sure sign of springtime when the cherry blossom trees come into full bloom.

: A bicyclist makes their way past cherry blossoms trees in Washington, Tuesday, April 7, 2015. Officials are calling for a peak bloom period from April 11-14th. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

: People walk under blooming cherry blossom trees on March 30, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. The Cherry blossom season begins in Okinawa in January and moves north through Feburary peaking in Kyoto and Tokyo at the end of March and lasting just over a week. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

: A field of cherry trees in full bloom on April 4, 2015 in the Jerte Valley, near Plasencia, in the region of Extremadura, Spain. During spring around two million cherry trees bloom at Jerte Valley bringing thousands of visitors to see the landscapes covered in white blossom. The Jerte Valley is one of the main cherry production areas in Spain with a harvest of around 15.000 tonnes of cherries every year depending on the weather. (Photo by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images)

: A general view of cherry trees in full bloom is pictured in Jerte’s Valley (Valle del Jerte) in Extremadura on April 2, 2015. Viewing cherry blossoms is a cultural event in Extremadura, where thousands of tourists turn out to admire them annually. (Dani Pozo/AFP/Getty Images)

: A cherry tree in full bloom is pictured in Jerte’s Valley (Valle del Jerte) in Extremadura on April 2, 2015. Viewing cherry blossoms is a cultural event in Extremadura, where thousands of tourists turn out to admire them annually. (Dani Pozo/AFP/Getty Images)

: Sumo wrestlers prepare for a sumo exhibition underneath cherry blossom trees at the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo on April 3, 2015. Sumo wrestlers took part in a “honozumo”, a ceremonial one-day exhibition for hundreds of spectators held within the shrine’s precincts. (Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP/Getty Images)

: A partial lunar eclipse is seen behind fully bloomed cherry blossoms in Utsunomiya in Tochigi prefecture, 100km north of Tokyo on April 4, 2015. Sky-gazers in part of the Pacific Rim enjoyed an “unusually brief” total eclipse of the Moon. (Yoshikazu Tsunoyo/AFP/Getty Images)

: A women has her picture taken under cherry blossom in St James Park on April 7, 2015 in London, England. (Niklas Halle’n/AFP/Getty Images)

: Luke and Carolyn Woods of Silver Spring, Md., pose for a photographer among the cherry blossoms trees in Washington, Tuesday, April 7, 2015. Luke and Carolyn were married 4 years ago and are retaking their wedding photos. Officials are calling for a peak bloom period from April 11-14th. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

: People view blooming cherry blossom trees at Chidorigafuchi on March 31, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. The Cherry blossom season begins in Okinawa in January and moves north through Feburary peaking in Kyoto and Tokyo at the end of March and lasting just over a week. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

: A Robin sits in a cherry blossom tree along the Tidal Basin in Washington, Tuesday, April 7, 2015. Officials are calling for a peak bloom period from April 11-14th. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

: Erin Leigh of Washington, D.C., center, and Diane Rusch, left, and B.K., right, both visiting from Pittsburgh, Pa. walks past cherry blossoms trees in Washington, Tuesday, April 7, 2015. Officials are calling for a peak bloom period from April 11-14th. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

: Cherry blossoms bloom in Washington, Tuesday, April 7, 2015. Officials are calling for a peak bloom period from April 11-14th. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

: A bicyclist makes their way past cherry blossoms trees in Washington, Tuesday, April 7, 2015. Officials are calling for a peak bloom period from April 11-14th. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

: Strollers walk past a row of Japanese cherry blossom trees at the Schlossgarten park in Schwetzingen, Germany, Tuesday, April 7, 2015. (AP Photo/dpa, Uwe Anspach)

: Visitors take a picture of blooming cherry blossoms at Sakura-no-sato in Ito, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, Sunday, March 29, 2015. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

: People view blooming cherry blossom trees at Chidorigafuchi on March 31, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. The Cherry blossom season begins in Okinawa in January and moves north through Feburary peaking in Kyoto and Tokyo at the end of March and lasting just over a week. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

: A young girl looks up at blooming cherry blossom trees at Chidorigafuchi on March 31, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. The Cherry blossom season begins in Okinawa in January and moves north through Feburary peaking in Kyoto and Tokyo at the end of March and lasting just over a week. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

: A man takes a photograph of blooming cherry blossom trees at Chidorigafuchi on March 31, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. The Cherry blossom season begins in Okinawa in January and moves north through Feburary peaking in Kyoto and Tokyo at the end of March and lasting just over a week. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

: A man takes a photograph with his Ipad of blooming cherry blossom trees at Chidorigafuchi on March 31, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. The Cherry blossom season begins in Okinawa in January and moves north through Feburary peaking in Kyoto and Tokyo at the end of March and lasting just over a week. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

: People view blooming cherry blossom trees at Chidorigafuchi on March 31, 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. The Cherry blossom season begins in Okinawa in January and moves north through Feburary peaking in Kyoto and Tokyo at the end of March and lasting just over a week. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

: This picture taken on March 21, 2015 shows a couple kissing in front of blooming cherry blossoms in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province. The cherry blossoms, now in full bloom, attracted tens of thousands of visitors, local media reported. (China Out/AFP/Getty Images)

: A mother tries to take pictures with her smartphone under cherry blossoms in full bloom in Tokyo on March 29, 2015. Many people in the Japanese capital enjoyed the sunny spring weekend. (Toru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images)

: People row canoes past cherry blossoms trees in full bloom in Tokyo on March 29, 2015. (Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images)

: People row canoes past cherry blossoms trees in full bloom in Tokyo on March 29, 2015. (Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images)

: A tourist is taken for a ride in a rickshaw under fully bloomed cherry blossoms in Tokyo on March 31, 2015. Viewing of cherry blossoms is a national pastime and cultural event in Japan, where millions of people turn out to admire them annually. (Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images)

: People walk under the blooming cherry blossoms near the Chidorigafuchi Imperial Palace moat in Tokyo, Sunday, March 29, 2015. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

: A man takes a photo under the blooming cherry blossoms near the Chidorigafuchi Imperial Palace moat in Tokyo, Sunday, March 29, 2015. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

: People row their boats in the Imperial moat under the canopy of the cherry blossoms in Tokyo, Sunday, March 29, 2015. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

: Women take photos of the blooming cherry blossoms near the Chidorigafuchi Imperial Palace moat in Tokyo, Sunday, March 29, 2015. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

: People walk on a street strewn with cherry blossom petals in Tokyo, Sunday, March 29, 2015. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

Exactly when the buds will open in the states – namely in D.C. – is not easy to predict and it is extremely difficult to give an accurate forecast much more than 10 days before peak bloom, according to the D.C. national Cherry Blossom Festival. National Park Service horticulturists monitor several distinct stages of bud development and provide timely forecasts and updates. This year it’s predicted the blooms will be at their peak in D.C. between April 11 and 14. The average peak date in April 4.

Cherry blossoms moving west as spring season blooms

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