Refers to the beginning of spring, typically around February to March. Used both as a noun and adverbially.
早春の花が咲き始めた。
Early spring flowers have started to bloom.
早春に、山ではまだ雪が残っている。
In early spring, snow still remains in the mountains.
The early-spring breeze is still a bit cold.
The plum blossoms start to bloom in early spring.
After the long winter, we finally welcomed early spring.