The famed cherry blossoms of Washington, DC, hit peak bloom Sunday—about two weeks earlier than is typical, and tied with the year 2000 as the second-earliest date on record. Experts say it's yet another consequence of climate change, with warmer weather speeding along the bud development cycle, the Washington Post reports. Most of the cherry tree buds made it through the entire cycle in 15 days this year; peak bloom is defined as the time when 70% of the trees are flowering. Cherry trees, or sakura, are even more iconic in Japan than DC (the oldest ones in the US capital were gifts from Japan, planted in Washington in 1912), and they're blooming earlier than usual in that country, too, Time reports.
In both countries, it's an ongoing trend, with peak bloom shifting gradually earlier over time. "Spring is most definitely starting earlier than when you were a kid," says one expert who works at an organization tracking seasonal changes. Another possible change in the future: If winter temperatures rise to a certain point, the trees won't experience the necessary degree of chill they need in order to ensure they "awaken" with the warmth of spring. (More than 150 of the trees are being removed in DC as part of an effort to fix sea walls, and people are saying goodbye to one tree in particular nicknamed "Stumpy.")
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