Cherry blossom mania is expected to arrive early this year after a spell of unseasonably warm weather in Toronto, and crowds could be descending on High Park for the colourful floral display as early as this week.

According to the latest update from Sakura Watch posted Friday, the week of summer-like conditions experienced in mid-April will expedite the arrival of peak cherry blossom bloom, and the first of these pink sprouts were spotted this past weekend.

Sakura Watch states that, while many trees are currently in the latter half of their third stage of bloom, "the majority were well on their way into Stage 4," when the first signs of blossoms' peduncle, or outer shell, are exposed.

The next stage of bloom, stage 5, will occur when the peduncle extends out in a process known as 'peduncle elongation,' the final step before full bloom.

And blossom-watchers won't have to wait much longer for the spectacle to reach peak conditions. According to Sakura Watch, "bloom dates for the Sakura Cherry Blossom bloom will begin even a few days earlier [than initially projected], between April 20 to 28."

The blossom-watching website adds that "next weekend is priming up to be the best time for taking in the earlier full bloom in High Park."

Expect crowds to pack High Park and other popular cherry blossom spots like Robarts Library, for the extremely limited viewing window. Typically, cherry blossoms will only last between 5 to 10 days before beginning to fall from trees.

If you're not a fan of crowds, there are other less-crowded destinations to catch the cherry blossom bloom, including Trinity Bellwoods, the Port Lands, Birkdale Ravine, Centennial Park, and Broadacres Park.