Cold St. Patrick's Day Gives Ohio Maple Syrup Makers Final Boost

Northeast Ohio producers capitalize on snowy weather to collect sap one last time before the 2026 season ends.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 2:37pm

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A cold and snowy St. Patrick's Day is giving Northeast Ohio maple syrup makers one last hurrah before this year's sugaring season ends. Producers expect the sap to run well in this weather, contributing to a season with good sap collection and syrup making. While climate change is affecting the warming and cooling cycles that drive maple syrup production, 2026 has been a relatively good year for Ohio maple producers.

Why it matters

Maple syrup production in the Northeast United States is highly dependent on the delicate balance of cold nights and warming days that cause the sap to rise and fall through the trees. This late-season cold snap is allowing Ohio maple producers to maximize their output before the season ends, capitalizing on a year that has seen some unusual weather patterns due to climate change.

The details

Making maple syrup requires a freeze-thaw cycle, where warm days cause sap to rise through the tree and cold nights make it travel back down. As days grow warmer and trees start to bud, the sap darkens and becomes stronger flavored, making it unsuitable for syrup. While 2026 has been a bit warmer overall, producers have still seen some tremendous sap runs, resulting in a pretty good year for syrup production despite the unusual weather.

  • On St. Patrick's Day 2026, Northeast Ohio experienced a cold and snowy weather pattern.
  • The maple syrup season typically ends as trees start to bud in the warmer spring weather.

The players

Jen Freeman

Co-owner of Richards Maple Products, a maple grocery store in Chardon and member of the Ohio Maple Producer's Board. Freeman's family has been in the maple business since 1910.

Andy McGovern

Events Manager at the Lake County Metroparks Farmpark in Kirtland, which taps about 900 trees to demonstrate maple syrup production to the public.

John Cermak

Operator of Sugarbush Creek Farm in Huntsburg, which taps 2,200 trees.

Zach Brenkus

Owner and distiller at Sap Run Distillery in Rome, Ohio, which uses sap to produce maple syrup and maple moonshine.

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What they’re saying

“It's been a weird season. It's not been real long, but there's been some tremendous runs.”

— Jen Freeman, Co-owner, Richards Maple Products

“With the big swings in temperature, we had our two largest single runs of all time this year. Not only has the run been good, everything we've made this year has been fantastic.”

— John Cermak, Operator, Sugarbush Creek Farm

“From last year to this year we've doubled in volume of sap. When it was running it was hard and fast.”

— Zach Brenkus, Owner and Distiller, Sap Run Distillery

The takeaway

While climate change is affecting the traditional maple syrup production cycle in the Northeast, Ohio maple producers have found ways to adapt and capitalize on the unusual weather patterns in 2026, resulting in a relatively strong season despite the challenges.