I don't understand. They're planted in a rain gutter? What does that mean? Normally strawberries are planted in spring in the spot where they will grow. You can't transplant them now, if that's what you're asking, and expect a good survival rate.

I think the OP is using the gutter as a permanent container. It's a system which one can find on the web. So it will need any protection that other small volume containers might need in the climate.

The gutters are the container. I can move the entire gutter from the fence to anywhere. I assumed I would have to put them on the ground and cover with straw or something? But is it too late since they been exposed to below freezing temps all week. Thanks

Move them to a sheltered, shaded location and cover them with a lot of straw for insulation to keep them frozen. DO NOT let them get into freeze-thaw-freeze cycling that will wreck the roots.

They survived in Montana's -30 winters where the ground freezes a foot deep. We would wait until the ground was freezing up and pile straw on the beds with some pine branches to hold it. They came up every year.

It's my first time overwintering them too. We've had a hard freeze for several days now. I've got them in a covered raised bed and I dumped a bunch of shredded leaves on top of them (I know I should use straw but I don't have any and I have tons of leaves). We'll see how well they survive.

I bought some strawb plants late last season and planted them on the edge of my veggie garden for the winter. I didn't even mulch them and the temps got down to -26C. They grew beautifully this summer - until I moved them to a dry spot in the heat of the summer :-(. I think they will still survive though as they're hardly little plants!

Linda

What's the best way to cover and protect them over the winter? Do they still need to be watered?

Covering is tricky. You can use row cover fabric to help prevent wind drying. A tarp would also work better to block wind but it doesn't allow enough ventilation to prevent fungal growth and that could be undesirable.

No need to water til mid-March. After then watch closely that plants receive enough water to keep from drying out from strong sunshine, assuming growing media has thawed.

Your plants will likely break dormancy sooner than soil grown counterparts so you may need to cover blooming plants on frosty nights as early as late March.