Hi Kathleen--Our situation here in the Midwest mirrored yours in the Northeast. One exception, though. Thankfully, no snow.
Disappointments and triumphs are part and parcel for those of us who garden. I have two potted Japanese Maples that are about 15 years old. They were starting to break dormancy earlier than usual this year, so I brought them out of their winter hideaway in an unheated room in the basement. They were fully leafed out on the front patio when the freeze hit. To be safe, I covered them with sheets--flannel, no less! Evidently Mother Nature has a different conception of "safe" than I do. Their tops froze despite my efforts.
They're starting to recover nicely now, thank goodness. I had feared that the sap might have frozen, which would have burst the wood and bark and would have meant the end of those beautiful maples. So, despite the damage to the tree tops, I count myself very lucky.