Ten reasons you should be working outside now (even in Northern Nevada):

1. You need exercise. If you're like me and have trouble following through with plans to exercise, you need to incorporate exercise into your daily activities.
2. You need sunshine and nature for your mental health. All year round.
3. You need vitamin D.
4. Repetitive tasks are relaxing and free the mind to solve problems. I couldn't find a good link to document this, but it definitely works for me. (Some forms of meditation involve repetitive motions.)
5. Jackets keep you just as warm while you're working outside as they do when you're walking out to your car. They also protect your arms from scratchy branches. If you try to work around blackberry bushes or spruce trees with bare arms this summer, you'll wish you'd done it now.
6. Your hands will be warm because you always wear gloves when you work in your garden, right?
7. You will get warmer as you work.
8. It's easier to see what needs to be done when branches are bare and plants on the ground are dead, and the ground is moist if you need to do any digging. (I don't recommend working outside when the ground is wet; besides the mess, it's not good for the soil. However, you can't use this excuse very long because the ground dries out faster than you think.)
9. Snakes and insects are dormant, so you can wade into overgrown places on your property without fear. They are still dormant, right?
10. You will get a lot of garden chores done. Now, I can never push myself outside just to get chores done when it's cold and blustery. And I never seem to be able to fit exercising into my day. But, for some reason I've been able lately to convince myself to go out for 30-45 minutes a day just to move around and get some fresh air and natural daylight. The fact that I'm getting things done that I've put off for years is a side benefit.

Just to be clear, the best things to be doing outside right now are cleanup, digging up unwanted plants, and pruning. Warning: Don 't prune shrubs that bloom in early spring (such as forsythia and lilac) because you would be cutting off the flower buds. Local experts also recommend waiting until April or so to prune roses to prevent their getting a lot of early growth that might freeze back in a spring frost.

It's also too early to plant most things; research first. The fact that local stores will have plants for sale does not mean it's safe to plant them! If you absolutely have to have some color, start with pansies and snapdragons. They should be fine.