The National Park Service thinks the blossoms will be able to ride out frigid weather and put on “glorious show.”
Despite the weekend’s plunge in temperatures, Mike Litterst is optimistic the cherry blossom trees along the Tidal Basin can weather the cold in time for peak bloom later this month.
Snow is actually not a problem for the trees, said Litterst, spokesman for the National Mall. Freezing temperatures are another story.
“What we’re definitely keeping an eye on are the temperatures this coming weekend,” he told WTOP on Thursday. “Blossoms can be damaged starting at 27 degrees; 24 degrees is a critical temperature. You can lose 90% of the blossoms. And I think the forecast lows this weekend are 25 and 21 (degrees) on Saturday and Sunday.
Damage tends to occur during stage five of blooming. “The fact that we’re only stage two, maybe stage three, we should be able to ride this one out,” Litterst said.
That means peak bloom is still expected to occur between March 22 and March 25 this year.