It’s the First Day of Spring!

This is the earliest in March the equinox has fallen since 1896.

The first day of astronomical spring falls on a different date every year. It occurs on the vernal equinox, when the amount of daylight is roughly 12 hours long. This is the earliest in March the equinox has fallen since 1896.

The cherry blossoms have reached peak bloom in Washington, D.C. The National Park Service made that official determination on Sunday. Peak bloom is when 70 percent of the yoshino cherry trees that line the National Mall and the Tidal Basin are open. They typically bloom for several days. This is the second earliest peak bloom on record, tying a similar mark set in 2000. The earliest bloom happened on March 15, 1990. Warmer temperatures helped trigger the early bloom. The District had one of its warmest winters on record.