I've noticed that the pips on my newly planted peonies seem to increase during the winter. Because we live further south, it takes a much longer time for our soil to freeze, and it doesn't stay frozen for long.
Several years ago, one of my newly planted tubers put up a stem during the middle of winter, which of course didn't make it, but the plant was fine, and grew normally with new stems the following spring once it warmed up.