Snowdrops are out: could spring really be here?

The middle of February is definitely too early for spring flowers in the Alps. Normally, we would expect to be under a couple feet of snow, but not this year. Monday we had a few inches of snow and by Sunday I was out in the garden in a tee-shirt, with only a few patches of snow left. The first snowdrop bloomed yesterday but I was only able to catch one quick photo before dusk fell. Today, after a night out in the cold, it was limp, but this neighbor appeared.

More worrisome are all the tulip tips happily climbing up out of the ground, thinking spring is here. I fear a blast of cold frost will do them all in. Fingers crossed this remains a gentle winter year at 1100 meters, with cold and snow at 1800 meters to make skiers happy.