Frigid Cold Means Maple-Tapping Season Off to Slow Start

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Maple producers across New York are planning open houses the last two weekends in March, but so far the season is off to a slow start because of frigid weather.

The best weather for sap is daytime temperatures in the low 40s and nighttime lows in the 20s. This winter has been so cold that many producers say they haven't been able to get any sap yet.

Dawn Boyes of Justus Asthalter Maple Syrup in the Sullivan County town of Parksville tells the Times Herald-Record of Middletown that everything's frozen up. Usually, she said, they would have been boiling syrup quite a few times by now.

Matt Costa of Grahamsville in Sullivan County says he's also several weeks behind on when he'd normally start making syrup.