The buds on the tree are longer, now and starting to turn green. It seems like these buds are going to turn into leaves and not flowers. Not all the buds look like this yet, these buds seem to be the most “developed” though it seems the rest are going to catch up soon.
Phenologically, it has been sunnier for longer as well as warmer. I believe that these buds are more developed, because they are receiving more sunlight, which is telling them to begin bud development sooner