If this situation were me, I would put the rhizome in a dry spot in the garage. I've never refrigerated an iris?! I've left rhizomes in flats in the garage over winter, planted ins spring after frost danger passed and they have done fine.
Nancy U.

I'd pot them up and overwinter them in sunny windows or under lights indoors.

Laurie

Last year, I potted several rhizomes in December & kept them by a window in my unheated basement. I watered them a few times. In the spring, I put them in the ground outside - they did not bloom, but looked healthy.

You should see the sorry rhizome I have sprouting in a pot right now. Was under a metal cabinet since late summer/early fall. Pulled the cabinet out to clean and found this poor little thing. It was dry and shriveled and no way I thought there was any life. Something made me stuff into one of the house plants. It's got leaves! I have to pull it out and put it in another pot. Window is now way adequate for iris. Needs a better spot.

All I can think of is at one point I had a bucket of some seriously sorry iris that my tenants had dug out and left on the porch in the sun soaking on the cabinet. Cat knocked them down and I thought I got all of them that spilled. Going to make me rethink what is alive and what isn't.

Linnea, I would pot them in a sunny window. Cool room if you have it. Water sparingly and pretty much forget about them until spring. They'll make it. Might skip a bloom season but it's the best bet this late.

Chuckling, I remember a friend giving some new varieties of iris. I left them in a bag under the work bench in the garage for three years. When I found them I thought I had nothing to lose, ashes to ashes dust to dust, and stuck them in the ground. Would you believe I have the most beautiful huge flowers on that iris and have shared it with friends who ooh and aah over it. So I think your iris is fine.

Cheers Jando