The 1.5 million visitors expected to attend the District’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival could be in for a disappointment if temperatures continue to drop this week — thousands of trees but no blossoms.
Should the temperature fall to 24 degrees Fahrenheit, the famous Japanese trees that line the Tidal Basin could lose up to 90 percent of their blossoms, according to the National Park Service. Even at 27 degrees, the blossoms will begin to see some damage, with about 10 percent lost to the frost.
“A lot of them were encased in ice [Tuesday] morning, but that’s not a concern — unless the weight becomes a problem, which we’re not seeing — since the air temperature around them is still above the critical 27 degree mark,” said National Park Service spokesman Michael Litterst.
Tuesday was supposed to have been the first day of the cherry blossoms’ peak bloom. Instead, a layer of snow and freezing rain covered the District’s prized cherry trees — as well as most of the region.
More than two feet of snow fell in some areas of the Northeast, according to the National Weather Service.
About 10 inches were recorded in Frederick, Maryland, just 45 miles northwest of the District. In Scranton, Pennsylvania, residents were digging themselves out of 21 inches of snow. And in Binghamton, New York, a foot of snow fell during a four-hour period Tuesday morning.
The storm hobbled travel from Virginia to Maine: About 6,000 flights were grounded, Amtrak suspended its rail service and Metro operated on a reduce-service Saturday schedule. In addition, New York City shut down its subway’s above-ground stations.
In the District, the federal government opened after a three-hour morning delay, with non-essential employees urged to take liberal leave or telecommute. The city government was running, but D.C. lawmakers cancelled their workday.
D.C. Public Schools opened after a two-hour delay, but most other school systems cancelled classes for the day.
As many as 200,000 residents in the path of the storm in the Northeast lost electric power. BGE in Maryland reported that nearly 5,000 of its customers lost power, and SMECO, a customer-owned utility in Southern Maryland, reported 6,650 customers without power as of 10 a.m.
“Ice and wind make a treacherous combination,” SMECO spokesman Tom Dennison said in a statement. “The weight of the ice causes limbs and trees to fall on lines and across roadways. At this time, transmission lines and most feeders are operational, but, while crews are making repairs, weather conditions will continue to cause additional outages.”
Pepco, which provides electricity for the District and its suburbs, restored service to more than 8,900 customers Tuesday and said it expected to restore service to all of its customers by Tuesday night.
Over the next two nights, temperatures are expected to fall to nearly 20 degrees Fahrenheit, spelling potential trouble for the District’s cherry blossoms.
“We’re still tracking the overnight temps for the next three nights as a bigger concern,” said Mr. Litterst.
The snow and cold already have affected the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which postponed until Saturday the opening of the Tidal Basin Welcome Area and ANA Performance Stage.
The welcome area provides visitor services, first aid, food and souvenirs, and the performance stage was set to host nearly 20 acts over the next three days.
“We’re waiting to see what happens with the weather, but either way, the festival will go on with four weeks of exciting events and programs throughout the region through April 16,” festival spokeswoman Nora Strumpf said.
The economic impact of the weather delay is tough to gauge. Though the National Park Service doesn’t release crowd estimates, festival officials say it provides a significant economic boon.
• Julia Brouillette contributed to this report.
• Ryan M. McDermott can be reached at rmcdermott@washingtontimes.com.
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