Spring's pink pageant is unfolding at the University of Washington, where the Quad's iconic Yoshino cherry trees are nearing peak bloom, an annual tradition that draws thousands of visitors to campus.

There is no surer sign of springtime in Portland than the arrival of the cherry blossoms. Those pink-and-white fluffs, that cotton-candy canopy—the way the rain of petals feels, as Bryan Vance put it on a recent episode of City Cast Portland, like something out of a Disney movie. It’s incredible. And fleeting.

Visitors can monitor the blooms in real time on the University of Washington's website. Peak bloom means 70% of the buds have emerged. SEATTLE - The University of Washington cherry blossoms on the Seattle campus are a sign that spring is knocking on the door.