Skip to main content

Ask the Weather Guys: Maple syrup harvest best when nights are cool, days are warm

Q: How do weather conditions affect maple syrup harvesting?

A: Weather is a crucial factor for a good harvest of maple syrup. Tapping trees occurs in late winter and early spring. In Wisconsin, March is a prime month for tapping sugar maple trees as that is when the sap is sweetest. But only about 2 percent of the sap is sugar, which is why it needs to be boiled down in order to remove the water and increase the sugar concentration.