The peak bloom of UW's cherry trees coincides with the weather. And this weekend should be it, according to the university's arborist.
While the calendar may say the official start of spring is still a half-week away, the University of Washington’s celebrated cherry trees say the season begins now.
The Yoshino cherry trees in the UW Quad are expected to reach their fullest bloom this weekend and last into next week, according to UW arborist Sara Shores.
The first blooms began to show around March 13, the university said in a news release.
“Seeing the new blooms is like hope that winter will end finally; they’re something to look forward to and are even better than the daffodils,” Shores said.
For those who can’t get out and see them in person during the weekend — which is expected to be ordinary in every way with some sun, a chance of showers and high temperatures in the mid-50s, National Weather Service meteorologist Dana Felton said — there are at least two other options.
One, the university hosts 200 other types of cherry trees that will bloom in groups over the next few weeks, Shore said. They may not be quite as striking as the ones in the Quad, she said, but they will still be lovely.
Two, the university has also installed a webcam of the Quad for the public’s viewing pleasure.
The camera on Miller Hall operates 24 hours a day.
The date of the trees’ fullest bloom is dependent on the weather, Shores has said. This year, they should remain dazzling into next weekend, as well, she said.
Last year they reached their fullest bloom on March 26, while the year before it was March 11, she said.
Aside from the cherry trees’ display, the weekend will be “run of the mill,” according to Felton of the weather service.
“It’s not going to be spectacularly sunny, but it’s not going to rain all weekend either,” he said.
For his part, he said he is not going to go out of his way to see the trees because all they do is make him long for cherry pie.
“When you say the word ‘cherry,’ all I can think of is pie. I saw a picture of a cherry pie on Twitter and I can’t get it out of my mind,” he said.