The National Park Service predicts cherry blossom peak bloom will be March 31-April 3.

Now park officials are not perfect guessers, but I have to admit they’re pretty good. Mostly, it’s based on expected March temperatures. Give the blossoms a few good warm days and they pop. And then poof – they’re gone.

So while traffic is nuts (I recommend taking the Smithsonian Metro stop and walking a couple blocks) and people are everywhere even at sunrise, it’s definitely something to see.