Historical Trends in Massachusetts

[Ntatar]

I'm wondering if people could post historical trends about when they start tapping in Massachusetts. I'm in the MetroWest area. And do you have links to other sites with this data that you can share?

[Sugarmaker]

Ok I will bite. Im a long way from Mass.
Historical data is great but Accuweather forecasts in today's world are pretty darn good and tapping can be looked at a week out with pretty good results too.
With weather seaming to change, maybe its global warming? Iam not going to argue about that. What you should look for (as I am sure you know) are the normal above and below freezing temps to begin the maple sap flow. Have your equipment ready and tap when you see that trend in the weather. The rest will happen and you will have your own data point. I like mid Feb in our area. But have been lured into tapping in late January!
Regards,
Chris

[berkshires]

I'm wondering if people could post historical trends about when they start tapping in Massachusetts. I'm in the MetroWest area. And do you have links to other sites with this data that you can share?

My sugarbush is in the foothills of the Berkshires - way west of you, and probably 700 feet more altitude. That said, I'll bite. I have figured out for the last few years, based on retrospective temps, when would have been the optimal time for me to tap. For reference, I'm on buckets (might be way different for tubes with good vacuum):

2012: 6 Feb (a weird warm year)
2013: 4 Mar
2014: 8 Mar
2015: 9 Mar
2016: 17 Feb
2017: 18 Feb
2018: 9 Feb

My actual tap dates:
2016: 27 Feb - first year, still gathering supplies, not ready earlier
2017: 18 Feb - tracking weather really closely, got lucky on hitting the sweet spot in timing
2018: 20 Jan - Way too early (which I knew at the time) but I had a baby and wanted to insure sap wouldn't spoil if I couldn't get to it for a while.

By the way, I will probably aim for tapping a week or so after the optimal time this year, because I'm still very short on time, what with the one-year-old. So I plan to have a short season of only four or five weeks, and I want to be collecting sap when the trees are running hardest.

Cheers,

Gabe

[berkshires]

And do you have links to other sites with this data that you can share?

Hourly historical weather for a given day: https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KBAF/2017/3/24/DailyHistory.html?req_city=Westfield&req_statename=Massachusetts
Monthly historical temperatures: w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=box

Cheers!

GO

[DMF]

I haven't been doing this as long as many others on here, but for where I am (Central, MA) I find that I usually tap around Valentine's Day. Because I have to work a "real" job, it actually turns out to be the weekend before or after Valentine's day. I recently had to travel for business. The dates that were offered were the first week of February, the last week of February, or the second week of March. Based on the choices, the first week of February (historically) would be the safest bet for me. I got off the plane on Saturday and my text messages lit up with pictures of one of my fellow Mass sugar makers evaporator boiling away. He had collected 700 gallons of sap the week I was travelling. :(
This week looks lousy. I'm waiting to see what the long range looks like to determine if I should begin tapping this weekend or not. Bottom line; with any type of farming, mother nature has the final call! Good luck!

[saphead]

Started in '72 in Southampton (lower Ct. river valley) and back then we always tapped winter vacation weekend,now it's called president's day,roughly 3rd week of Feb. As I remember we always complained about missing the first run. Back in those days we had a 6 week window and that was it,bucket spouts clogged up with pretty white goo and the plastic spouts we used were used year after year so they clogged up too. It's alot different today with fresh plastic in the trees every year,you don't have to be anywere near as precise with timing.

[Biz]

Here is when I have started tapping for the past 20+ years. Prior to 2015 I had all buckets so I tended to tap later in season. I have many more taps out now, and mostly tubing, so I can afford to start earlier than I used to. I can't say that I always tapped at the correct time, sometimes a bit too early, sometimes a bit late, but generally close. We are in central Mass at 1000' elevation on the shoulder of Mt Wachusett so the climate is more like western Mass.

2019 Feb 23 (planned)
2018 Feb 10, 14
2017 Feb 18
2016 Feb 19
2015 Feb 28
2014 Mar 8
2013 Mar 3
2012 Feb 28
2011 Mar 5
2010 Mar 5
2009 Mar 7
2008 Mar 2
2007 Mar 3
2006 Mar 8
2005 Mar 16
2004 Feb 29
2003 Mar 15
2002 Feb 24
2001 Mar 11
2000 Mar 3
1999 Feb 14 (too early)
1998 Feb 20
1997 Mar 8

I have records of tapping in Chesterfield (buckets only) going back to the 70's so if I get a chance to dig them out I will post them.

Dave

[Ntatar]

This is great! Thank you Dave. I'm in the metrowest area also and planning for the same weekend.

[jrm]

Great detail, Dave. I'm likely to tap weekend after next. Yesterday, I noticed the first taps in around me... a small group of trees on tubing. There are a few other folks within a mile of me, and I haven't seen any of them go in yet.

Nick, as an aside, I've often used Drumlin Farm's tapping as a guide, I took a one day class on sugarin' when I first wanted to start... I do know that they've just put a few taps in the last week, but apparently they've had very little dripping so far. They said the rest will almost definitely go in next week.

[Ntatar]

Thanks Janet! I've tapped this last weekend in Feb and been pretty happy 2 years. I'm going from a dozen trees to 35 this year and have just realized how much knowledge lives within this group. Nice to be connected to folks in the area this year!

[jrm]

That's a nice jump in taps. I might tap one of two more trees. But, with my barrel evap hard to scale up too much since I batch boil. I'll be interested to hear how you like the 2x3 as you work with it this year. Happy tapping!

[johnpma]

Here is when I have started tapping for the past 20+ years. Prior to 2015 I had all buckets so I tended to tap later in season. I have many more taps out now, and mostly tubing, so I can afford to start earlier than I used to. I can't say that I always tapped at the correct time, sometimes a bit too early, sometimes a bit late, but generally close. We are in central Mass at 1000' elevation on the shoulder of Mt Wachusett so the climate is more like western Mass.

2019 Feb 23 (planned)
2018 Feb 10, 14
2017 Feb 18
2016 Feb 19
2015 Feb 28
2014 Mar 8
2013 Mar 3
2012 Feb 28
2011 Mar 5
2010 Mar 5
2009 Mar 7
2008 Mar 2
2007 Mar 3
2006 Mar 8
2005 Mar 16
2004 Feb 29
2003 Mar 15
2002 Feb 24
2001 Mar 11
2000 Mar 3
1999 Feb 14 (too early)
1998 Feb 20
1997 Mar 8

I have records of tapping in Chesterfield (buckets only) going back to the 70's so if I get a chance to dig them out I will post them.

DaveThat's a great collection of data Dave!!!! I have not tapped yet. Changed a few things around in the woods. I'll tap my 3/16" lines tomorrow night after work. May not tap along Page Brook for a few weeks. Those trees always flow late season.

[tgormley358]

In central MA (Harvard), I’m thinking about riding the wave starting this week Thursday with 4 consecutive days in the 40s and cold nights, but after that the forecast turns cold again for the next week so I’m not sure. Sap may run those colder days but not as much. Might be better to wait. I could use more time to get ready so I won’t mind another week or two delay.

Tom

[Ntatar]

This year in Needham, the best window was:
March 6 - March 24
Footnote: Some good days in late Feb/Early March but we also had some days in there w single digits and a couple of major wind storms (gusting 40 MPH)

[Ntatar]

This Feb is so mild compared to last year and those freezing cold days with windstorms. 10 day forecast in metrowest area shows more temps in the low 40s, nights in the 20s and 30s. Might have to tap early this year. Looking like mid Feb as opposed to first week of March.