Peppers hate to get cold, where tomatoes can take a chill.

I have never winter sown either, but I do (start indoors and) plant out early with protection and find that peppers just sulk until the temps warm.

Since they've been WS'd and sprouted in the current temps, they should be ok planted and given some protection(mainly from wind, hail, etc). They do like it warmer than toms as stated above so they'll grow slower than the toms if the soil is cool. Maybe try a few and see how they do before planting out the rest. I have WS'd a few toms, but start my peppers inside and go through the hassle of hardening off as I'm in an even colder zone than you(although I never got around to WSing my toms this year so had to start some inside). I know there are others here who WS their peppers...hope they post more info.

Is there no one that WS their peppers?

I put 'peppers' into the search box and this is one thread that came up that will hopefully give you some additional info...

Here is a link that might be useful: WS'd pepper thread

I WS jalapenos and bells this year. They just came up in the last week and look pretty healthy, though they've got no second leaves yet. But neither do the two I started in my garden window. We've had lots of rain and cloudy days, and it's only the last week that it's begun to warm up. Give them time. I decided last year that I'm done with starting inside. If I can't WS it, I'll buy a plant or two (I had two empty pots in the window so threw some jalapeno seeds in just in case). Eggplant is one that didn't take for me last year. They sprouted, but never grew.

Caryl

I did winter sow just a couple of peppers but I looked at threads on this forum about peppers before winter sowing and decided I would be better off starting peppers under lights so I did that too. I have no ws sprouts but under the lights I have some small seedlings but it's way too cold to put mine out yet. They really like heat and our temps keep dipping into the thirties at night here.

I notice you are in zone 5 and should be colder than where I am, yet I have no germination in my pepper or tomato containers, although 3/4 of everything else has germinated. Even a pumpkin stuck it's head out yesterday. I'm very happy I used lights this year.

I've wintersown lots of peppers, nothing yet. I started some inside and are now hardening off. They are the only type I did both with.

This is my 3rd year WS peppers. I do hot and sweet. I plant mine out a bit later in the season (mid May?) when it's warmer and they are a couple of inches tall. They are really hardy. I had thrown my extras away in the compost bin last year and they produced even though it's in mostly shade and the roots were never properly buried.

They would probably be ok with a cover as you said to protect from hail, heavy winds and frost.

prairiemoon2- My temps must be warmer because I have tomato and pepper sprouts out the whazoo. I'm at the south edge of zone 5. My husband just had to have one of those topsy turvy strawberry planters. Well it didn't work so well so he tried salvaging the strawberries in a hanging basket (inside with grow lights). The strawberries were gonners so he took a few hot pepper sprouts to put in there and they are doing well.

I think it's also been cloudy here as well as cool. I am seeing good germination with everything except the warmer season seeds, including the tomatos/peppers. Still I should have much larger seedlings by now too. Isn't that nice that you and your husband both garden.

I WS my peppers at the same time as my tomatoes, usually the first 2 wks of April. I'm just getting a few sprouts now because we've had temps in the 80's the past week. Lots of crazy fluctuating temps but they're slowly poking their heads outta the soil now.