When to tap maple trees in New Hampshire
- Opens
- Feb 28
- median, USDA
- Closes
- Apr 7
- median, USDA
- Typical length
- 34days
- Seasons on record
- 12
- 2011–2022
County by county
When the sap runs across New Hampshire
Loading the map…
Typical opening date of the sap season, week by week across this state’s range
- Feb 16–22
- Feb 23–Mar 1
- Mar 2–8
- Mar 9–11
- fewer than 5 maple farms
10 places with an atlas page. Typical season opening, earliest: Rockingham County, NH, Feb 16; Hillsborough County, NH, Feb 18; Strafford County, NH, Feb 18; latest: Coos County, NH, Mar 11; Carroll County, NH, Mar 7; Grafton County, NH, Mar 6. Most sap days a season: Cheshire County, NH, 55; Sullivan County, NH, 55; Rockingham County, NH, 53. Maple taps in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, on a five-step scale fitted to New Hampshire: under 12,000, 12,000–43,000, 43,000–63,000, 63,000–92,000, 92,000+; the most: Sullivan County, NH (192,177), Coos County, NH (92,173), Grafton County, NH (68,184), Cheshire County, NH (63,030), Hillsborough County, NH (54,267). Maple farms in the same census, in five steps: under 38, 38–44, 44–51, 51–72, 72+; the most: Grafton County, NH (78), Hillsborough County, NH (72), Merrimack County, NH (53). Syrup made, in US gallons: Sullivan County, NH (65,485 gal), Coos County, NH (35,073 gal), Hillsborough County, NH (15,634 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: Coos County, NH (about 12 million ± 15%), Grafton County, NH (about 5.4 million ± 15%), Carroll County, NH (about 2.3 million ± 20%). 1 county's estimate is 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.
| Rockingham | Feb 16 – Mar 28 | 53 | 11,590 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsborough | Feb 18 – Mar 27 | 50 | 54,267 |
| Strafford | Feb 18 – Mar 28 | 49 | 7,662 |
| Merrimack | Feb 25 – Apr 6 | 50 | 43,233 |
| Cheshire | Feb 26 – Apr 7 | 55 | 63,030 |
| Belknap | Mar 2 – Apr 10 | 44 | 24,600 |
| Sullivan | Mar 5 – Apr 14 | 55 | 192,177 |
| Grafton | Mar 6 – Apr 15 | 49 | 68,184 |
| Carroll | Mar 7 – Apr 15 | 47 | 9,271 |
| Coos | Mar 11 – Apr 18 | 47 | 92,173 |
Sap-flow outlook right now
Full New Hampshire forecast →Forecast for Newport
Updated Nov 10, 5:44 AM EST
2 sap days in the next 6
freeze thaw 32°F
- WedNov 1136° / 50°
0h below · 24h above
No refreeze forecast - ThuNov 1232° / 47°
0h below · 21h above
No refreeze forecast - FriNov 1335° / 42°
0h below · 24h above
No refreeze forecast - SatNov 1430° / 42°
5h below · 17h above
Sap likely - SunNov 1531° / 45°
2h below · 20h above
Maybe a light run - MonNov 1629° / 48°Classic sap day
Data: National Weather Service. Verdicts use freeze-thaw thresholds from maple field research; your woods may run a little differently.
Season history
New Hampshire maple seasons, 2011–2022
| Year | Opened | Closed | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Feb 27 | Apr 4 | 36 |
| 2021 | Mar 6 | Apr 1 | 26 |
| 2020 | Feb 24 | Mar 30 | 35 |
| 2019 | Mar 10 | Apr 10 | 31 |
| 2018 | Feb 24 | Apr 8 | 43 |
| 2017 | Feb 24 | Apr 7 | 42 |
| 2016 | Feb 22 | Mar 30 | 37 |
| 2015 | Mar 18 | Apr 13 | 26 |
| 2014 | Mar 14 | Apr 13 | 30 |
| 2013 | Feb 28 | Apr 7 | 38 |
| 2012 | Feb 24 | Mar 20 | 25 |
| 2011 | Mar 7 | Apr 8 | 32 |
Timing your taps
How to know it's time in New Hampshire
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 (the 2016 opening date was revised from Feb 23 to Feb 22 in later reports; the revised value is used).
New Hampshire made 147,000 gallons of maple syrup in 2026, 2.5% 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 New Hampshire's sugaring happens
- NewportSullivan County has 192,177 of New Hampshire's 566,187 taps (33.9%), the most in the state (2022 Census of Agriculture).
- LancasterCoos County in the North Country ranks second with 92,173 taps (16.3%; 2022 Census of Agriculture).
FAQ
New Hampshire tapping questions
- When is maple syrup season in New Hampshire?
- Usually from late February to early April, about 5 weeks. The exact start moves by weeks from year to year with the weather.
- When should I tap my trees in New Hampshire?
- 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 28. 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 New Hampshire?
- In USDA records for 2011–2022, the earliest average opening was February 22 (2016) and the latest was March 18 (2015), a spread of 24 days.
New Hampshire
More for New Hampshire sugarmakers
LuckySap · free on iPhone & Android
Get a heads-up when New Hampshire'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.
