Frost depth, lack of snow cover and rain?

[Daren]

Well....the warm weather is certainly good for getting caught up on stuff that should have been done long ago, but does anyone have any gut feelings on how this year may shape up? I am thinking a quick one with early budding for those of us with lots of reds. Still planning on tapping town meeting day time frame as always, but this lack of real cold this winter makes me think of low sugars and quick run and gun then done!

[smokeyamber]

I agree, my south hill setup will clear fast with this little snow and then stuff will bud real fast. I am rooting for a good nor'easter and cold til meeting day. Current pattern doesn't bode well for either so I will just stick with the town meeting timeframe. Lots of other places are running very early so I could be late on tapping, but so far no one's tapped ( or mentioned ) it in Vermont so guess I am safe :lol:

[PARKER MAPLE]

Warming up the drill boys, might be pulling the trigger next week. what do you think, you one board. Temps look good for the remainder of this week plus the early part of next. Might be over or apon us quicker then you think.

Wish me luck
MR

[GramaCindy]

What pre-tell is Town meeting day? and when is it?

Okay a quick Google search tells me it's the first Tuesday in March. Sounds good to me, but I tend to go with the actual weather of the week, and long term. For me the average is just after St. Patty's day. It's funny how the average is usually the norm too.

[twitch]

come on snow !!!!!!!!

[vtmaplemaker]

You guys are all jumping the gun, and looking at the glass half full..... You will get sap if you tap early, but the prolonged effect is not worth it. This is a Jan. thaw that we always have, and always gets us antsy.. I will not disagree that the season mite be a little early this year. ( first boil for me is always between March 11th and 15th) except for one season written on the wall, and it was much like this season. That year my first boil was March 1st and it was one of the best seasons I ever had. I typically make more syrup the less snow we have, and I never tap before the 3rd week of Feb. Take advantage of the weather, make sure everything is ready, and get lots of sleep.. You will need it next month...

[bowtie]

i do not know if what we are experiencing is a january thaw since we have had no winter to speak of. here in the southern tier of ny we have no snow on the ground , the ground actually is not frozen. from what i read it is still too early to tap but according to mapling books the first runs are not only usually the best they also have the highest sugar content. i can not think that tapping a couple weeks early is really going to hurt especially if a warm spring follows this "winter". i will probably tap the second weekend in feb. would rather get the first than hang out for the last, did this last year and still had sap flowing in my taps when i pulled them the first week in april. the weather pattern does not seem to be changing and if it does and winter "sets in" in mid feb i do not think my taps will dry up earlier anyway. times are a changing and the early bird gets the worm more times than not.

[Daren]

Hey GramaC...town meeting day is usually March 5th and each town has a town meeting where officials are elected to vacant position, you go over budgets for the town and generally find out how badly municipals handle our tax dollars....dont even get me started on the national level! Anyway, tradition in VT has often been to use that time as the "GO Time" for tapping.

I am with you VTMaplemaker on waiting out this thaw thing....but I also agree with Bowtie that this really is not a normal or even below normal winter. I might even have some home furnace wood left over this year! I know the sap has run a few times already...at least two in my opinion. I am hopeful that the pattern changes and it does in fact get bone butt cold in Feb to get some frost in the ground. Right now, tapping is more about when I get ready with the sugarhouse project this year. I am heading out to do some more plumbing today....if the 3 way banjos come in that is.

[Daren]

Hey maplerookie.....seen many a gunslinger die an early death due to an itchy trigger finger. Patience Grasshoppha.

[oneoldsap]

Hey GramaC...town meeting day is usually March 5th and each town has a town meeting where officials are elected to vacant position, you go over budgets for the town and generally find out how badly municipals handle our tax dollars....dont even get me started on the national level! Anyway, tradition in VT has often been to use that time as the "GO Time" for tapping.

I am with you VTMaplemaker on waiting out this thaw thing....but I also agree with Bowtie that this really is not a normal or even below normal winter. I might even have some home furnace wood left over this year! I know the sap has run a few times already...at least two in my opinion. I am hopeful that the pattern changes and it does in fact get bone butt cold in Feb to get some frost in the ground. Right now, tapping is more about when I get ready with the sugarhouse project this year. I am heading out to do some more plumbing today....if the 3 way banjos come in that is.

Town Meeting day is the first Tuesday in March ! Most " Vermonters " would be knowing that !

[802maple]

The worst years I have ever had we had snow over our heads and the best years were with no snow. If you guys want mine you can have it. Please take it every year.

[Justin Turco]

802Maple, by looking at your location I see that you must be VERY close to me. What do you think? Tap or Wait a bit longer. Looks like the sap would run like heck today but a bit cold later this week..

How bout the rest of ya'll? Tapping yet or waiting?

[Brokermike]

I want to tap, but can't convince myself to do it just yet. The weather looks **** near perfect

[smokeyamber]

Sunny 40's today, bet it ran, but freezing up again so I will wait...

[Daren]

still waiting in Fletcher. Days like this are tough to hold out on. I used the good weather to my smoke stack extended out through the roof. Hope to get the rest of the plumbing done and everything flushed by the end of next week. Should be all ready to go by the end of the month. Even now, I can at least boil raw. sure dont want to do that though...not this year! For those who have tapped, how much did it run today? Pushed mid 40's I hear.