Warm March frustrates (maple) syrup-makers (global warming, Maine)

[jpak]

http://www.journaltribune.com/articles/2010/03/22/features/doc4ba7a961691ac900901307.txt

The last weekend in March means one thing in Maine: Maple Syrup Sunday. On March 28, sugarhouses across York County and all over the state will open their doors for visitors for the 27th annual event. Different sugarhouses will offer various activities, including maple syrup demonstrations, samples, pancake breakfasts, and the opportunity to purchase maple products.

This year, area sugarhouses may have less syrup available than in years past, as unseasonably warm weather has apparently put a damper on sap collection.

“It’s beautiful weather, but it’s not syrup weather,” said Clark Cole of Dayton.

The ideal weather, say maple syrup producers, is about 20 degrees at night, and about 40 degrees during the day. The freeze and thaw cycle helps the sap flow.

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global warming is real

It's anthropogenic

deniers suck

[madokie]

1. We have maple trees here

and for a few years I tapped them and made my own syrup. It always fit in well with my vocation at the time. I was really surprised at how much some trees would flow some days and how much you couldn't tell the sap from good clean water. Maybe we don't have high enough sugar content or something but once I had the silly thought to cook a pot of beans using the sap as the water. The beans were good as always but they didn't have a maple flavor at all. With our trees I found it took me about 30 gallons of sap to make a quart of syrup but man o man that was some kind of good syrup though and well worth the effort.

[OnlinePoker]

2. Appears to be having the opposite effect in Canada

Record production expected this year.

http://www.canada.com/life/Warm+weather+means+early+start+maple+syrup+season/2670447/story.html