For decades, the thousands of blooming cherry blossom trees in the nation’s capital have served as both a magnet to visitors and the unofficial start of the tourist season for Washington, D.C. This year,

Peak bloom is declared by the agency when 70 percent of the blossoms around the Tidal Basin — the reservoir on the National Mall — have opened.

Peak bloom is reached when at least 70% of the Yoshino cherry blossoms are open. If the projections are correct, it will happen toward the midpoint of the National Cherry Blossom

D.C.'s cherry blossoms will hit peak bloom March 28-31 this year, the National Park Service (NPS) announced Thursday. Why it matters: Come next month, the Tidal Basin will be packed with blossom lovers vying to snag content of the flowering trees — plan your peak bloom trips accordingly.