When to tap maple trees in Connecticut
- Opens
- Feb 12
- median, USDA
- Closes
- Mar 26
- median, USDA
- Typical length
- 35days
- Seasons on record
- 8
- 2011–2018
County by county
When the sap runs across Connecticut
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Typical opening date of the sap season, week by week across this state’s range
- Feb 3–8
- Feb 9–15
- Feb 16–19
- fewer than 5 maple farms
8 places with an atlas page. Typical season opening, earliest: New London County, CT, Feb 3; Hartford County, CT, Feb 6; Middlesex County, CT, Feb 6; latest: Litchfield County, CT, Feb 19; Tolland County, CT, Feb 15; Windham County, CT, Feb 10. Most sap days a season: Windham County, CT, 53; Litchfield County, CT, 50; New Haven County, CT, 50. Maple taps in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, on a five-step scale shared by both countries: under 1,000, 1,000–5,000, 5,000–20,000, 20,000–100,000, 100,000+; the most: Litchfield County, CT (32,727), Windham County, CT (16,240), Middlesex County, CT (11,048), Tolland County, CT (8,750), Hartford County, CT (6,584). Maple farms in the same census, in five steps: under 10, 10–20, 20–50, 50–100, 100+; the most: Litchfield County, CT (73), Windham County, CT (22), Middlesex County, CT (20). Syrup made, in US gallons: Litchfield County, CT (6,816 gal), Windham County, CT (2,560 gal), Middlesex County, CT (2,044 gal). Tappable maples (FIA estimates of sugar maples 10 in and up on forest land, US counties only): under 1 million, 1–2 million, 2–5 million, 5–10 million, 10 million+; the most: Litchfield County, CT (about 2.3 million ± 24%), Fairfield County, CT (about 1.0 million ± 47%), New Haven County, CT (about 630,000 ± 40%). 2 counties' estimates are too uncertain to show (sampling error over 50%). Each shaded place links to its page; every state and province page lists its places in a table.
| New London | Feb 3 – Mar 15 | 49 | 6,537 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford | Feb 6 – Mar 20 | 44 | 6,584 |
| Middlesex | Feb 6 – Mar 20 | 49 | 11,048 |
| Fairfield | Feb 8 – Mar 21 | 47 | 2,864 |
| New Haven | Feb 9 – Mar 23 | 50 | 2,570 |
| Windham | Feb 10 – Mar 25 | 53 | 16,240 |
| Tolland | Feb 15 – Mar 29 | 45 | 8,750 |
| Litchfield | Feb 19 – Apr 1 | 50 | 32,727 |
Sap-flow outlook right now
Full Connecticut forecast →Forecast for Litchfield
Updated Nov 9, 7:36 PM EST
Off-season
Connecticut's season opens in about 94 days
Typical opening: February 12.
What to do now
- 1
Hold the drill
Fall sap is low in sugar, and a November hole on buckets is spent by January.
- 2
Find and mark your trees
Easiest while the leaves are on. Tapping starts at 12 inches across, about 38 inches around.
- 3
Gather your gear
A drill with a clean 5/16-inch bit, one spout per taphole, covered food-grade buckets.
Show this week’s forecast anywayHide the forecast
Only marginal days ahead
freeze thaw 32°F
- TueNov 1038° / 56°
0h below · 24h above
No refreeze forecast - WedNov 1139° / 54°
0h below · 24h above
No refreeze forecast - ThuNov 1238° / 51°
0h below · 24h above
No refreeze forecast - FriNov 1337° / 41°
0h below · 24h above
No refreeze forecast - SatNov 1431° / 40°
1h below · 20h above
Maybe a light run - SunNov 1531° / 45°
4h below · 18h above
Maybe a light run
Data: National Weather Service. Verdicts use freeze-thaw thresholds from maple field research; your woods may run a little differently.
Season history
Connecticut maple seasons, 2011–2018
| Year | Opened | Closed | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Feb 12 | Mar 26 | 42 |
| 2017 | Feb 12 | Mar 26 | 42 |
| 2016 | Feb 10 | Mar 15 | 34 |
| 2015 | Mar 10 | Apr 6 | 27 |
| 2014 | Feb 26 | Apr 2 | 35 |
| 2013 | Feb 12 | Mar 25 | 41 |
| 2012 | Feb 9 | Mar 12 | 32 |
| 2011 | Feb 24 | Mar 28 | 32 |
Timing your taps
How to know it's time in Connecticut
Sap runs on a temperature swing, not a date. A night below freezing loads the tree; a day above freezing pushes sap out of the taphole. Field research treats a low under about 30°F followed by a high over about 37°F as a real freeze-thaw day, and big runs almost always come on days like that.
So watch the 10-day forecast. When you see a string of nights in the 20s and afternoons in the 40s, get your taps in a day or two ahead. South-facing slopes warm first and usually run earlier.
Dates are USDA NASS approximate state averages of producer-reported first and last sap days. NASS dropped Connecticut from its maple program after 2018, so there is no newer per-year data.
Connecticut made 12,000 gallons of maple syrup in 2026, 0.2% of the US crop (USDA NASS). See every state’s crop.
Seasons are shifting. In New England and New York, the sugaring season now begins about 8 days earlier and ends about 11 days earlier than it did 40 years earlier, leaving it roughly 3 days (about 10%) shorter, according to UVM Proctor Maple Research Center survey records analyzed in 2007.
Where Connecticut's sugaring happens
- LitchfieldLitchfield County has 32,727 of Connecticut's 87,320 taps (37.5%), the most of any county (2022 Census of Agriculture).
FAQ
Connecticut tapping questions
- When is maple syrup season in Connecticut?
- Usually from mid-February to late March, about 5 weeks. The exact start moves by weeks from year to year with the weather.
- When should I tap my trees in Connecticut?
- Tap just before the first good run: when the forecast shows nights below freezing and days climbing to around 40°F. In a typical year that's around February 12. Tapholes dry up within 6 to 10 weeks, so tapping far too early can cost you the late runs.
- What's the earliest maple season has started in Connecticut?
- In USDA records for 2011–2018, the earliest average opening was February 9 (2012) and the latest was March 10 (2015), a spread of 29 days.
Connecticut
More for Connecticut sugarmakers
LuckySap · free on iPhone & Android
Get a heads-up when Connecticut's sap will run
LuckySap checks the forecast for your trees and can ping you the night before a strong sap day, then keeps every collection and boil in one season log. Free on iPhone and Android.
