Protect foundation construction though winter

This is a forum question, not a news story, so there's no policy or program update here — just one homeowner's situation. A person building their own house in Corvallis, Oregon is asking whether it's safe to leave newly poured foundation footings exposed over the winter while construction pauses for a few months.

The homeowner has a walkout basement with about 7 feet of excavated clay walls, footings on a compacted gravel pad, and plans to pour the footings soon. Because their main helper (a parent with more building experience) is unavailable in December and January, they're considering halting work until spring. Their worry is whether heavy Oregon rain and temperatures that often dip into the high 20s could freeze or damage the exposed concrete and clay walls over the winter. They're weighing options like draping plastic sheeting over the footings and excavated walls, using rigid foam insulation panels on top of the footings, and capping exposed rebar, since they haven't yet been able to get the pipe fittings needed to install permanent footing drains before the rainy season starts.

There's no broader upgrade, rebate, or program news here for other homeowners to act on. It's a specific construction question about protecting concrete work through a wet, cold winter in one climate zone, and any answers would come from other builders in the site's comment section rather than from a program or policy change.