An excellent New Year to you, too, Taurman!
In my experience, Hostas are pretty hard wired to go dormant in the winter, even in an essentially subtropical climate like mine. I would gently push aside the compost over where the leaves were, looking for conical, olive drab buds, and plump white or tan roots just a little below the surface. Where I am, they were less than a cm below the surface, but they might be deeper in colder climates.

Tugbrethil is right on. My hostas are under 5 inches of snow and are very dormant. It's also about -5 degrees Fahrenheit. It's sleepy time for them which is essential for strong healthy growth later on. Still, don't let the pots dry out completely. Even dormant plants need some water - snow does the job in my case. When you start to see green shoots coming up (late March or so) you can give them a bigger pot & some fertilizer or divide them into new plants. Move them outdoors. They like partial sun/dappled shade. Happy New Year!

the Hostas in my terracotta snail shell planters are in the greenhouse and they are fully dormant. This is to protect the pots not the plants. They wont show any growth until March really. This is normal for Hostas so don't worry. If you want to check knock them out of their pot and check for roots and hard buds [the varieties I have, have blue/green buds]/ its a good time to look for slug/snails & their eggs. repot in fresh compost and keep barely damp. don't worry about them.

Thank you all for your answers, just wondered Seaburngirl if "terracotta snail shell planters" is a reference to their shape as opposed to any ability they have to deter slugs?