Every year about this time I put 200 tulips in the bags they come in the refrigerator until I plant them usually the first week in December. I do not use my kitchen refrigerator,which is a modern self defrosting model also used for all my food requiring refrigeration. Modern self defrosting refrigerators use a fan to circulate the air inside the food compartment across a cold surface which removes the moisture from the air onto the cold surface. This now dry air removes moisture from everything not sealed air tight including your bulbs. I keep a four cubic foot non automatic defrosting refrigerator in the garage for all my garden needs. I have no problems with the bulb dessication over the three months they are in the refrigerator. I also have no fruit in the refrigerator so no Etheline gas is present to prevent the bulbs blooming when planted. Al

The reason you're suppose to pot them up is during this time they'll put out roots. Without being planted to grow roots they might not perform correctly.

I think it depends on what you mean by forcing. What Al describes is what those of us with mild winters have to do to get most tulips and hyacinths to bloom at all. After the refrigerator chill, the bulbs can be planted outdoors in pots in a cool spot (I've had trouble if the pots get too warm at this point) or in the ground. Some people "force" bulbs to bloom early indoors - during the refrigerated period in potting mix they form roots as stated above, then they're put in a cool spot indoors until they have leaves, then they bloom pretty quickly once warmed up. I'm sure there are other variations on both of these methods.

Thank you for all the good answers.
Yes, I mean forcing them inside for blooms around February when it is still freezing outside.

Guess it's time to make some room in the refrigerator for some pots! Thanks again!