NEW BRAINTREE, Mass.—Sugarmakers in New England are hoping for the first big run of the season this coming week.

“Get ready, it’s gonna be big,” said Howard Boyden, a sugarmaker from Conway, Mass. and president of the North American Maple Syrup Council.

Boyden was on hand for the annual tree tapping ceremony on Friday for the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association, held at Grand Maple Farms in New Braintree.

“I think this week is, yes going to be be good unless Mother Nature has another idea. It is farming after all,” said Paul Schur, who runs the operation with son, Justin.

“We’ve had three runs and out of that, two good ones,” Schur said, regarding his 900-tap operation on vacuum. "We’ve made 40 gallons so far.”

Temperatures are expected to hit the 40s by Saturday in southern New England and 60s by Sunday in most of the Northeast.

By early week, precipitation is also expected which could flush sap out of the trees even more, some sugarmakers say.

“Some of my best days I’ve ever had sugaring is 35 degrees and rain. The sap just gushes,” said Keith Dufresne of Dufresne’s Sugar House in Williamsburg, Mass.

So far, in Massachusetts, most sugarmakers have already had at least two and in some cases three boils in this short season so far.

Paul Thompson, who sugars in New Braintree, Mass. with son, John said their farm was at two boils, with low sugar content in the sap.

“The sugar has been very low, we started at 1.2 percent and our best was 1.5,” Thompson said.

Keith Bardwell of 1300-tap Brookledge Sugarhouse in Whately, Mass. has had three boils, he said Friday.

“We’re at about 20 percent of a crop so far,” Bardwell said.  “It’s a slow start though considering I tapped on January 22.

Bardwell, who is also president of the Mass Maple association said he didn’t get his first boil until Feb. 13.

But Bardwell echoed the sentiments of most sugarmakers on Friday by saying the week ahead could be a barn burner.

“One excellent week we can make a lot of ground up quick,” Bardwell said.