Beyond the bud: How the nation's pink trees became an indicator of changing climate

WASHINGTON —

It’s not just the groundhog. Cherry blossoms, the pinkest landmark in the nation’s capital, are one of the country’s key markers that spring is coming.

As good a fortune teller for the changing seasons, the pink blooms are also an indicator of something else: climate change. Advertisement

Decades of data show an increase in average global temperatures, and cherry blossoms have not been spared the effects.

Warming temperatures have caused the trees to bloom earlier than they should — leaving the blossoms vulnerable to late-winter frosts.

The peak bloom dates have shifted about eight days earlier in the year, according to data collected on the trees since 1921 by the National Park Service .

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