There are about 1,700 cherry trees planted in the southwestern part of Washington, D.C. They live along the Potomac River and around a connecting body of water called the Tidal Basin. The city’s first cherry trees were a gift from Japan to the United States in 1912. Each year, about 1 million people travel to Washington to see cherry blossoms growing on the trees. The best time to see the blossoms usually is in late March through early April. There are parades and other events to celebrate the flowering trees and the return of spring. About two weeks ago, we reported that an unusually warm winter had forecasters worried that the blossoms might come out early. After all, on March 1, the air temperature in Washington reached 27 degrees Celsius. Some of the trees were already producing pink and white blossoms. But then the weather began acting more like winter. It got colder and snowy. In fact, last Wednesday, the temperature was - 5 degrees Celsius. There was snow on the ground. Many of the blossoms and buds froze when the snow turned to ice. The U.S. National Park Service says about half of the blossoms were destroyed. But there are so many trees, and so many buds, that experts think visitors to Washington will still enjoy the cherry trees.
Title: Cold Weather Limiting Washington’s Cherry Blossoms
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1745/cold_cherries.m4a' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Cold Weather Limiting Washingtons Cherry Blossoms' data-article-id='2263'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='11604'>There are about 1,700 cherry trees planted in the southwestern part of Washington, D.C.</span> <span data-start-time='11604' data-end-time='21313'>They live along the Potomac River and around a connecting body of water called the Tidal Basin.</span> <span data-start-time='21313' data-end-time='32646'>The city’s first cherry trees were a gift from Japan to the United States in 1912.</span> <span data-start-time='32646' data-end-time='43188'>Each year, about 1 million people travel to Washington to see cherry blossoms growing on the trees.</span> <span data-start-time='43188' data-end-time='51542'>The best time to see the blossoms usually is in late March through early April.</span> <span data-start-time='51542' data-end-time='62917'>There are parades and other events to celebrate the flowering trees and the return of spring.</span> <span data-start-time='62917' data-end-time='78604'>About two weeks ago, we reported that an unusually warm winter had forecasters worried that the blossoms might come out early.</span> <span data-start-time='78604' data-end-time='90354'>After all, on March 1, the air temperature in Washington reached 27 degrees Celsius.</span> <span data-start-time='90354' data-end-time='98021'>Some of the trees were already producing pink and white blossoms.</span> <span data-start-time='98021' data-end-time='103250'>But then the weather began acting more like winter.</span> <span data-start-time='103250' data-end-time='107208'>It got colder and snowy.</span> <span data-start-time='107208' data-end-time='116500'>In fact, last Wednesday, the temperature was - 5 degrees Celsius.</span> <span data-start-time='116500' data-end-time='120646'>There was snow on the ground.</span> <span data-start-time='120646' data-end-time='129229'>Many of the blossoms and buds froze when the snow turned to ice.</span> <span data-start-time='129229' data-end-time='137542'>The U.S. National Park Service says about half of the blossoms were destroyed.</span> <span data-start-time='137542' data-end-time='151250'>But there are so many trees, and so many buds, that experts think visitors to Washington will still enjoy the cherry trees.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1745/cold_cherries.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=8295 data-hint-location='43188' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1745/the_best_time_to_see_the_blossoms_is_in__blank_.m4a'>The best time to see the blossoms is in <span class='blank'>spring</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='spring'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1745/winter.m4a'><span>winter</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1745/fall.m4a'><span>fall</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1745/summer.m4a'><span>summer</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1745/spring.m4a'><span>spring</span></div></div></div><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=8296 data-hint-location='62917' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1745/what_does_forecast_mean.m4a'>What does forecast mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='predict'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1745/suggest.m4a'><span>suggest</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1745/imply.m4a'><span>imply</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1745/predict.m4a'><span>predict</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1745/guarantee.m4a'><span>guarantee</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=8297 data-hint-location='90354' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1745/what_color_are_cherry_blossoms.m4a'>What color are cherry blossoms?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='pink and white'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1745/pink_and_white.m4a'><span>pink and white</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1745/pink_and_blue.m4a'><span>pink and blue</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1745/red_and_green.m4a'><span>red and green</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/1745/red_and_white.m4a'><span>red and white</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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