A light fall of snow overnight (the first I've seen this winter). It's been a relatively mild winter in Southern England albeit damp. I welcome cold winters. It's part of the life cycle of nature in the northern hemisphere.

 A period of dormancy in plants is the precursor to the "green fuse" being lit in spring. Periods of chilling are needed both to enter and emerge from dormancy, a process sometimes referred to as vernalisation.