A recent Boston Globe article about the beautiful warm weather taking a toll on maple syrup production really hit home. Our beautiful almost snowless winter, that has made morning commutes easy and eased the burden of towns snow removal budget, has taken a toll on maple syrup production. Most farmers have never seen anything like it and are sitting out the season.
With 100% pure maple syrup prices at the grocery stores high anyway, our nice weather may make them higher. Our family, born and bread in New England, likes the real maple syrup and chemical laden product won’t do on homemade pancakes or waffles.
We may have to be creative with toppings using fresh fruit like a banana or blueberries. It just won’t be the same. I think I paid twelve to thirteen dollars for a large container of the 100% maple syrup the last time and I won’t even look now.
Consumers may have to make the choice between gas or pure maple syrup.
Larissa Shivley
February 25, 2013
Weather is driven by air pressure (temperature and moisture) differences between one place and another. These pressure and temperature differences can occur due to the sun angle at any particular spot, which varies by latitude from the tropics. The strong temperature contrast between polar and tropical air gives rise to the jet stream. Weather systems in the mid-latitudes, such as extratropical cyclones, are caused by instabilities of the jet stream flow.^