You can plant it now, it won't do much, but will survive, go through its life cycle, and with proper care and growing conditions, a year from now will produce a quality bulb. It REALLY needs to be planted in the fall. The plant is influenced by day length and temperature, and, just as if you tried to plant a tulip bulb in the spring, it won't perform as it should.

You should still plant it and as quickly as possible. I say if possible because I think its gotten cold there again. Punch little holes in the ground with a crowbar if you have to. They will start sprouting in February.

I agree that in the far north, it's important to get the garlic in the ground in the fall. In the spring, it's usually too muddy to get into the garden and plant. As early as I ever dare venture into the garden in the spring, my garlic is always well on its way. Ideally, it's best to plant 4 weeks or so before the ground starts to freeze. Obviously, it's difficult to know ahead of time just when that will be. In Vermont, I once planted on Thanksgiving Day -- much later than I had intended to. It snowed the very next day and that was the last I saw of my garden until spring. My garlic came up just fine that season, possibly slightly smaller bulbs than usual, but I got a perfectly acceptable crop.

soil s/b free of rocks and clay, you need good drainage and no rocks. i add bone meal and blood meal and compost, lots of compost to the bed, plant 3-4" deep. when done cover with 4-6" of mulch, i use shredded leaves. uncover around 3/10 to 3/25 as the greens should be up by then and leave 1" mulch. start looking about 3/10. tom