Half of Washington’s cherry blossoms died of cold shock

Cherry blossomCherry blossom

This week’s cold weather killed about half of Washington’s beloved cherry blossoms, which are a popular tourist attraction.

Subzero temperatures came suddenly after a period of warm weather, and in the US capital many were afraid what it would mean for the city’s 3,000 cherry trees.

The buds that were in the last phase before flowering, did not survive as the mercury crept down to minus five degrees Celsius, according to spokesman Mike Litterst of the National Parks Service (NPS).

The damage already begins to happen when the temperature drops to minus 2.5 degrees.

The NPS is now not sure when the flowering is going to be at its biggest, but it may be at the end of next week, instead of in this weekend, which was the previous estimate.

Hundreds visit Washington to see the major sites with the pink flowers each year. The city has its own Cherry Blossom Festival, which celebrates the friendship gift of 3,000 trees, which the United States received from Japan in 1912.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today