Snowfall from 25-26 Jan has mostly melted, although north facing slopes are still blanketed with maybe 1.5" snowpack.  Temperatures had turned bitter cold (-4F) with the arrival of the snow and have slowly climbed to 48F for the high yesterday (6 Feb).  Bird song has changed pattern and frequency and folks are spending a little more time outdoors.  Kids at the nearby school enjoyed an afternoon on the playground yesterday.  Maple (Acer saccharinum and A. rubrum) buds are beginning to swell.  Catkins have appeared on Hazelnut (Corylus americana), however female buds have not yet broken.  Neighbors lawns maybe look a little greener from the snowmelt.  Conditions still seem dry.  Today, I was able to sample the vegetable garden soil on a south facing berm and only the top inch of the maybe 4" deep sample was moist/ wet.  Soil in the lower portion of the sample was quite dry, with a couple visible ice crystals.  Heard of a crew pouring concrete curb/walk in nearby Collinsville on 5 Feb.