I find it extremely odd for any pope to leave right before Easter, the most important celebration of the Catholic Church. It's so important that I would have expected Benedict to try and stick it out.
Now it's more than likely that there will be no pope in office for the Easter Blessing.
Easter is March 31st, they could have all the cardinals in Rome ready to go on March 1st, they have enough warning to be there and get on with it, there will no appetite for slowing things down, maybe thats Benedicts thought, make sure they get on with it and don’t drag it out, force them to get on with it.
It took 19 days from death of john paul til Benedict got elected but that included the death and mourning period too, so they should be ready to go by easter no problems.