Sakura Watch 2017 Begins!
Sakura Watch 2017 begins this month! After last year's bust of no flowers, many are hopeful for a much more fulfilling bloom this year. How will 2017 compare to 2016? Let's begin by examining a few early factors.
The Weather
This year's winter has been much more forgiving than last. The Weather Network's Spring Forecast (watch here) notes near average or above normal temperatures for April and May. This bodes well for the cherry blossom buds as more predictable and stable temperatures should help the trees and buds to grow correctly.
March may still be a bit up and down. Extreme cycles with warmer above zero weekdays followed by freezing sub-zero weekends. The one consolation is the buds are currently protected from the drastic changes because it is early in the development process.
Bud to Bloom Development
There was much disappointment in 2016. A harsh, long winter with severe cold damaged the sakura/cherry blossom trees throughout High Park. Confused buds stayed closed much longer than their regular schedules. The lack of expected warmer weather meant most buds simply skipped producing any flowers at all and went straight to leaves instead.
First visit to High Park in 2017
2017 has so far (fingers crossed!) been a much temperate and forgiving year. A first visit to the park this weekend saw good early signs that some buds are on track. The -13 C winds only allowed me to take a few photos, but its a good starting point. The gallery above shows what look like good, healthy blossom buds progress so far. More visits in the coming weeks should help determine when to expect to see a bloom this year.
When will they Sakura Cherry Blossoms bloom in 2017?
With only an initial visit so far, it is still too early to estimate. I know MANY of you have already been asking! As it stands today, the initial estimate is to see a normal late April to early May bloom time. Remember this is ONLY A GUESS and a few more visits should help be more accurate so check back on this site or any of our social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up to date on the Sakura Watch.