Japan’s cherry blossom season kicks off boozy parties across the country and draws tourists from far and wide, but the annual coming-of-spring ritual isn’t official until inspectors like Hisato Nishii sign off on it. Over the past few weeks, local weather offices have been sending civil servants like Nishii out to so-called barometer trees that … Read more
Following mid-March’s bitter cold snap which killed about half of Washington DC’s cherry blossoms, the US capital’s National Cherry Blossom Festival celebrated the survivors’ peak bloom. The festival which lasts until April 16, saw thousands of nature lovers descend on DC’s Tidal Basin to see the famous flowers beginning on Saturday. Attendee Kadia Pandu told … Read more
This week’s bitter cold snap killed about half of Washington’s beloved cherry blossoms, and the survivors are now expected to peak at the end of next week, the National Parks Service said Friday. Freezing temperatures that had abruptly followed unseasonably warm weather had the nation’s capital fearful for its more than 3,000 prized Japanese cherry … Read more
As the northeastern United States braces for the biggest snowstorm of the winter, officials in Washington had other concerns — the fate of the city’s prized cherry blossoms, which draw hordes of tourists every year. “There is no risk for the trees themselves. They’ve seen snow, cold temperatures, wind,” National Park Service (NPS) spokesman Mike … Read more