Usually the big advice is to check if it has rocks that are glued down. If it does you may want to peel those off to prevent root rot as well as allow water to get down there.

If you have space indoors you might want to have it be an indoor bonsai for now since the shock might not be great for it.

Thanks for the advice, Wizzard. I've currently got it in a south-facing window, and I'm hoping that it will get enough light there. I did check the rocks and other pot decorations - nothing was glued down, and the plant itself looks to be in pretty good condition. Hopefully I can keep it alive until spring, and then I can put it outside in a more appropriate environment!

Don't keep it indoors...it'll lose vitality (and could die).

Do you have a cold-room or covered porch where you can transition the plant?

Conifers are notorious for doing poorly indoors.

Josh

@Josh: I could put it in the (unheated) garage, but even then, I'm worried about putting it out without hardening it up first. We're already getting down into the teens at night here, and that seems like it would be quite a shock to a plant that came from California. On the other hand, I do know that most conifers don't do well indoors. I'll put it out this next week when it's supposed to warm up for a few days, and hopefully it can adjust fast enough.

Here's a tip that Al (Tapla) has shared with the Forum on several occasions.

Set the tree on the garage floor, then cover the tree with an overturned cardboard box.

Josh