The High Park cherry blossoms should be at peak bloom next week

Cherry blossoms in Toronto's High Park are a clear sign that spring has arrived and winter is in the rearview mirror. With sunny skies to start the week, we're that much closer to witnessing full bloom, but how could a few rainy days affect the process?

In the High Park, the flowers usually reach their peak bloom in late April and early May. According to the High Park Nature Center, the cherry blossoms are now in stage 4 of the blooming process. While cold weather slows things down, warm spring weather gets the buds moving quickly.

Stage 4 usually shows elongated flower stalks, with some flowers visible at this stage. High Park Nature Center says cherry blossoms are vulnerable to frost at this stage, which could cause problems if temperatures continue to drop in the coming days.

“With all these weather forecasts in mind, we expect the peak bloom to begin on Monday, April 22,” said Rohit Rao, spokesman for the High Park Nature Center.

“The cherry blossom season, when 20 percent of the blossoms open, begins this weekend and ends when the petals fall. Peak flowering, which is the perfect time to view cherry blossoms, begins when at least 70 percent of the flowers have opened.”

Sakura Steve believes that the first blooms in the high park may appear this week.

“All we need now is some sunny days and then (this) weekend we should see full bloom,” Sakura Steve wrote in his latest update. “This is consistent with my prediction of full bloom beginning on April 18th, then continuing through the 24th, weather permitting.”

During peak cherry blossom season, High Park does not have car or parking access. Only Wheel-Trans vehicles are allowed in the High Park during peak hours.

How this week's forecast may affect the first bloom

Since cherry blossoms are weather-dependent, Toronto's extended forecast and fluctuating temperatures can make things difficult.

The week started with beautiful sunny skies on Tuesday with daytime highs of 15°C on Monday and 13°C this afternoon. This should speed up the process quite a bit; however, the system is expected to bring heavy rain on Wednesday, which will continue into Friday. By the end of the week, more than 50 millimeters may fall in the city.

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Rao said the cherry blossoms should reach stage 5 in the next few days when the fluffy white flowers appear. At this stage, the flowers will still be protecting their petals.

“Dangerous rain is only a concern if the flowers have been open for several days because the petals are sensitive,” he said. “Also, rain is a factor that helps flowers grow.”

Daytime temperatures are likely to change this weekend, ranging from 13 degrees on Saturday to 9 degrees on Sunday.

Of course, stage 6 is peak flowering when the pale white sakura flowers begin to open. Once open, flowers last 4-10 days depending on the weather. Cherry blossoms last about a week to a half in spring-like weather, but if it rains while they're in bloom, the petals drop faster and the blooms can end in a few days.

City of Toronto lists other locations In addition to the high park, you can see cherry blossoms.