When to tap maple trees in New Brunswick
Maple season in New Brunswick usually opens late February to March (south first) and winds down April (later in the north). Here's the long-run pattern, the year-by-year record, and what the forecast says right now.
- Opens
- late February to March (south first)
- Closes
- April (later in the north)
Forecast for Saint-Quentin
Updated Sep 26, 4:00 AM EDT
No freeze-thaw days in the forecast
Blue = below 32°F · Amber = thaw · dashed line = freezing
- SunSep 27No freeze, no run18°high9°low
- MonSep 28No freeze, no run17°high3°low
- TueSep 29No freeze, no run19°high7°low
- WedSep 30No freeze, no run21°high4°low
- ThuOct 1No freeze, no run20°high11°low
- FriOct 2No freeze, no run17°high14°low
Data: Environment and Climate Change Canada. Verdicts use freeze-thaw thresholds from maple field research; your woods may run a little differently.
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. Tap south-facing slopes first — they warm and run earlier.
No multi-year published dates were found. The New Brunswick Maple Syrup Association says start dates run earlier in the south and later in the north; in 2025 the season began at the end of February and early March, and the south was expected to finish by late April (CBC, 2025). In 2023 the south was winding down in early April while the north ran well behind (Radio-Canada).
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.
Plan your season
Sources
- Maple syrup season in New Brunswick is sweet as ever — CBC News
- Après des contretemps, une saison « intense » dans les érablières du Nouveau-Brunswick — Radio-Canada
- Saint-Quentin — Town of Saint-Quentin
- Government of Canada supports the modernization of three sugar bushes for a sustainable future — Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
- Statement of Timothy D. Perkins, Ph.D., Director, UVM Proctor Maple Research Center — Global Warming Mountaintop 'Summit': Economic Impacts on New England (June 4, 2007) — U.S. House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
Common questions
- When is maple syrup season in New Brunswick?
- Usually from late February to March (south first) to April (later in the north). The exact start moves by weeks from year to year with the weather.
- When should I tap my trees in New Brunswick?
- Tap just before the first good run: when the forecast shows nights below freezing and days climbing to around 40°F. Tapholes dry up within 6 to 10 weeks, so tapping far too early can cost you the late runs.
- What weather makes sap run?
- Freezing nights and thawing days. Field research counts a freeze-thaw day as a low under about 30°F and a high over about 37°F; nights in the 20s and days in the 40s are the classic sap days.
Get a heads-up when New Brunswick'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.
