Tracking the weather's impact on the cherry blossom trees

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - Thanks to that warm-up last week, green buds are sprouting on cherry blossom trees around the Tidal Basin on the National Mall! But the first sign of spring has some people barking up the wrong tree.

If you've seen budding blossoms, National Park Service officials say they were likely magnolia blooms because the cherry trees have little green buds that will reach peak bloom during the first week of April.

On Monday, FOX 5 talked to some tourists who say they are disappointed they won't be here to see the iconic cherry blossoms.

The earliest peak bloom on record was March 15, back in 1990. Last year, peak bloom fell on April 5.

The NPS says the buds are a bit behind last year and this current cold spell is slowing things down a little bit more, but officials say not to worry because this is totally normal.

The trees have reached Stage 2 of the six bloom cycles, which means florets are visible,
whereas magnolias are almost at full bloom, but that's the only thing that sets these two flowers apart.

The NPS says there are about 17 days between Stage 2 and peak blossom, and we could see the blossoms reach the third stage as early as this Thursday or Friday.