| SPRINGTHAW | Sign of winter's end, as depicted at the starts of 17-, 24-, 35- and 50-Across |
| HABERDASHER | Provider of an old silk hat, e.g. (as depicted at the top of this puzzle) |
| PISCES | Sign of winter's end |
| BUDS | Signs of winter's end |
| SUNFLOWER | Summer plant beginning to fade, during sign of winter's approach (9) |
| CANDYCOATED | Like M&M's ... or four words to describe 17-, 24-, 35- and 50-Across? |
| THEFLOORISLAVA | Rainy-day game for children, whose play is punnily suggested by 16-, 24-, 35- and 50-Across |
| LEADINGLADY | Starring actress ... and literally, what the first word of 17-, 24-, 35- and 48-Acrross can have |
| FERN | Cryptogamous plant esteemed by pteridomaniacs and roosting nightjars and whose furled fronds are depicted at the heads of fiddles (4) |
| ISIS | Goddess depicted at the foot of King Tut's coffin |
| TOMFOOLERY | Horseplay, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 24-, 35- and 49-Across |
| MARCHHARE | Character in Lewis Carroll book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland depicted at the Hatter's mad tea-party with straw on his head (5,4) |
| STOPGAPS | Temporary fixes - and a feature of 17-, 24-, 35-, and 46-Across |
| WONDERLAND | Awe-inspiring place where you might find the ends of 17-, 24-, 35- and 48-Across? |
| AYE | Vote heard on the floor ... and at the end of 20-, 31-, 35- and 50-Across? |
| CAPRICORN | A mo. at the first sign of winter? |
| SNOWFALL | Start of summer — immediately autumn and sign of winter? |
| ICE | Sign of winter that is round the capital of Canada (3) |
| APICES | Mountain tops show a sign of winter, first of snow dropping (6) |
| COLDOPEN | Start of each "S.N.L." episode ... or a hint to the initials of the words in 17-, 24-, 35- and 47-Across |
