This has been an interesting year for maple syrup so far. (Yes, some of us do think a lot about such things...) We have produced light to light-amber syrups in the three batches we have finished so far. I am no expert, but I think this is due to a combination of continuously colder weather and the fact that we received an exceptional amount of rain right before the ground froze last Fall. Lots of low-sugar-content sap is flowing (when it flows, that is...). And while it takes longer to boil down, it is not yet carrying the proteins and other nutrient elements that the trees will need later-on and that cause later-season syrups to be darker and more deeply-flavored.
The long-range forecast is calling for a sustained period of days well above freezing and nights in the 20's. This should mean a very long sugaring season.
Joe