Sakura Watch April 5 & 6, 2018 - Next stage begins as snow falls over the sakura cherry blossom trees in High Park. In a mix of good and bad news, spring 2018 is starting to look like a repeat of the weather challenged spring we had previously in 2016. As was the case then, continued winter weather has slowed the progress of blossom development throughout the park, and the light snowfall on April 6th is a reminder that winter just refuses to give in. Watch the latest video update from YouTube:

Buds show next stage of development

One very positive observation is to see that a few buds have begun to show green tips. This indicates the next stage of development has begun. See the photo gallery below for a few examples:

Although we are starting to see similarities with spring 2016 and the peak bloom of early May, a few key differences should be noted. The differences include the buds are in a much healthier state, the weather has been consistently cold which only slowed down development instead of throwing it off track, and the current forecast weather shows gradual warming over the coming weeks. The warming trend should help the blossom buds to continue to develop through the stages without being shocked between sudden dips and rises in temperatures.

More visits in the next couple of weeks should better set the stage for what to expect and when. Stay tuned for more updated soon!