The unusually warm winter of 2024 indicates a possible early start to the annual cherry blossom bloom in Toronto.

The annual High Park Sakura Watch blog also returned this week with its first report of the season, noting that the buds preceding the colorful pink cherry blossoms are already growing faster than usual thanks to the mild weather in Toronto.

The blog post stated, "The flower buds have grown well so far, and there is no doubt that the warmer weather we have experienced during this mild winter has directly contributed to accelerating the natural pace of how buds grow at this time of year."

The cherry blossom trees in High Park currently carry what the blog describes as good, oval-shaped buds with a healthy, deep, rich bronze color, displaying copper-colored tips, which helps place them between
stages 1 and 2 of bud development.

The level of bud development as of February 28 was similar to their development around the second week of March under normal conditions, suggesting the possibility that the cherry blossoms could arrive two weeks earlier than the usual bloom period, which extends from late April to early May.

It is worth noting that in 2023, the cherry blossoms reached their peak bloom on April 20, and if conditions continue as they are this year, the flowers may bloom earlier, possibly during the first half of the month.

Early blooming of other plants in the first week of February can also be another indicator that the cherry blossom season may arrive slightly earlier than usual this spring.

However, a mild winter could also cause a reduction in blooming this year, as the Sakura Watch blog warns of the risk of buds growing too quickly, where a sudden cold snap, such as a polar vortex as happened in 2016, weakens the trees, and the buds will produce only a small portion of flowers."