beginning of spring; end of the cold season
Refers to the period when the coldest part of winter ends and spring begins, often around early February in the traditional calendar. Used in seasonal greetings and haiku.
Around the beginning of spring, plum blossoms start to bloom.
With the end of the cold season, it has finally become warmer.
A compound of 寒, the traditional cold-season period, and 明け “ending; close,” denoting the end of that period and the approach of spring.