I think May will be better than February, but I'm really surprised no one has wondered out loud why the race wasn't moved to August or June. Here's why:
• In August it would come right after all the excitement from the Tour. In June, right before.
• Every road in the state would be snow free. So all the great climbs in the Sierras, the climb up Mt. Shasta, etc.
• In August it would compete with the boring Eneco Tour.
The negatives are that a lot of riders rest after the Tour. But we'd still see a lot there. In June, it would compete with either Dauphine or Suisse. The other neg is the heat in the valley and south in August, where most of the people are.
While the Sierras (eastern side) are definitely the spectacular mountain scenery that would really showcase the state, and look a lot like the GT's of Europe (and probably the hardest cluster of big climbs in North America, including some HC climbs) the problem is that they are hundreds of miles away from population centers. I don't see the TOC going into the Eastern Sierras or Shasta/Lassen for some time, maybe never. However, we will in May see climbs such as those up Mt. Wilson, Mineral King, Old Priest Grade, Mt. Baldy, Crystal Lake, Table Mountain, etc. All of which could end in Category 1 or 2 uphill finishes.
If the TOC ever moved to the Sierras, we'd really be in for a treat. Onion Valley Road, Sabina Basin, Minaret Summit, Sonora Pass, Whitney Portal, many, many more spectacular, giant climbs.