winter composting

I have been pilling up kitchen scraps and the odd handful of shredded newspaper on my compost pile this winter. We have had lots of snow so far so usually by the time i get another containerful out there the previous one is covered by snow. I don't think my initial pile that was built up in the summer and fall is big enough to stay warm enough to keep breaking down in the winter. But when things start to thaw I will have lots of ready to use compost hopefully and lots of new material for breaking down (the stuff i've been piling out there in the winter.) I'm looking forward to seeing what the pile will look like when things start to thaw and melt. When will that be? Usually not till April i'm thinking. All the snow means that the ground will have lots of moisture this spring which will be good.