At the end of the last story arc of my campaign, the party managed to get all their tax money back by killing their corrupt lord, only to have it stolen by a young dragon who would be a difficult (but not impossible) encounter at this point.
Winter is coming, and I would like the characters to have a break from having their money stolen so they can buy stuff (generous, I know). Are dragons known to hibernate during the winter? Are they known to migrate? How else might winter affect the dragon?
I could not particularly find anything about how dragons are affected by seasons, but on this webpage, you will find a lot of information where you propably could make up your own answer.
At least, it is written in there, that dragons:
can enter a long sleep similar to a state of hibernation. Such a sleep allows the creature to pass decades or even centuries without waking. Dragons might enter this sleep as a way of surviving periods of famine without having to find a new lair, grieving the loss of a loved one, or withdrawing from the world out of sheer ennui.
As dragons seem to not be coldblooded, it does not really sound as if dragons actually do have problems with seasons like a lizard would. It more sounds like a dragon chooses whatever it pleases.
In non-migratory birds, one will often find that they tend to eat more, and eat higher-energy foods. If your dragon isn't going to sleep his way through the winter (another great suggestion, and befitting dragon-lore -- dragons often sleep for years!), it would be logical that he would act like his closest non-draconic analog: birds.
Whether your heroes track him down sleeping in his layer or find him pilfering a barn, however, you must be sure to provide a means for them to deal with the dragon.
I recommend a set-up to allow creatively handling the dragon via environment effects.
