Sorry to hear you are having trouble. What variety of rhododendron are you trying to grow where you live? A Zone 5 hardy shrub should be top priority if you regularly have a lot of winter damage. You can also make sure you do not fertilize after July so new tender growth (flower buds) is not zapped or injured by winter frosts. Some of the damage seen in the picture is also oportunistic fungal infections that develop because of the leaf winter damage. Dispose of those leaves now or when they fall. If this location (where the shrub grows) is windy, consider some additional protection from dessecating winter winds or consider transplanting it to a protected location.

Pink Roseum is what the tag read and it came from a local nursery so I would think it should be a hardy variety. I may have fertilized too late last year. Thanks for the suggestion. The snowline is where the leaves all died right across the snowline. This is located in front of a privacy fence facing south with large evergreen yews on each side of it. It is possible that the north wind swoops over the fence downswooping and circling back into the front of the bush. I wonder about wrapping it with burlap like I have done on a young arborvitae in the past.It gets direct sun with all the leaves gone from the surrounding trees. Might it help now to spray with an antifungal?

Regarding the buds, don't worry until you see if the buds open into healthy shoots.

Fertilizing a rhododendron is problematic. It usually only benefits the fertilizer company, not the rhododendron. If fertilizing is necessary, only use a good fertilizer like Hollytone and only use it once around bloom season in the spring at half the rate on the package.

The leaves with the tips burned most likely have winter damage. It can be aggravated by fertilizing too late in the season. This prevents the plant from hardening off for the winter.

Winter sun and wind are any evergreen plants enemies. A burlap screen will help. Never cover the top, leave the top open. Protect the sides.

Here is a link that might be useful: How to care for rhododendrons and azaleas.