Hi Kali -- I don't know if this is the answer, but when Mother Nature plays these games outdoors, I notice that the in-ground bulbs often send up shoots, and then when the temps go back to "normal" winter, they just sit there and relax until Spring actually arrives. It doesn't seem to hurt the plants, altho maybe not optimum conditions. In my opinion, as long as the flower buds aren't above the soil, where they could be damaged, things will probably work out. Personally, I would not put your pots outside yet!!

You remind me that I ought to check all my 30 pots of daffs and tulips in MY garage, lol.

Hope things are going well for you -- can't wait to see photos of your gardens this year!

I need to do this as well next year. At least I will be able to buy bulbs on sale. Last year, the sales were too late and the soil already frozen. Still, I almost bought some! :)

Kali -- I viewed my pots and some of them are sprouting. Not going to worry about it, tho! I'm fairly confident that they will be okay. =)

I have my pots outside buried in leaf piles and they are sprouting below a heap of leaves. So are the ones in the ground and they will choose their own times.

If your weather is unseasonably warm, you can mess with a few pots by bringing outside during the day and then inside your house (warm) at night. You will get early blooms although there's a chance your planter might need to stay inside a few days when the inevitable "gotcha" cold spell hits. I've done this the past few years with no regrets.

Once daytime temps go above freezing I usually take the pots out and stick them up against the house foundation. Up against the shelter of the house they should be ok as long as temperatures don't drop too much overnight (into the mid 20's or lower). Of course you've got to remember to keep an eye on them... that's usually where my system falls apart, when I head out to work and realize it was much colder that night than I thought.