Successful adaptation of a crop species is dependent upon programming critical growth stages so the plant can optimize its response to environmental conditions during the growing season. The ability of winter cereal genotypes to survive over-winter low-temperature stress is an example of an adaptation that allows the plant to position itself to thrive when conditions are favorable for growth and development. Winter survival is dependent on environmental responses that affect just about every measurable morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristic of the plant. These changes are determined by complex genotype x environment interactions that are not clearly understood. Simulation models offer a constructive method for advancing our understanding of these complicated plant responses in a so-called “systems approach”. In addition to providing a framework for the integration of the information accumulated from detailed physiological, genetic and genomics studies, a well-designed model facilitates the investigation of production risks, cause-and-effect processes, and the evaluation of genetic theories. Our winter survival model allows researchers to upload environmental data and change other model parameters in order to allow for simulation of varieties and conditions that may be of special interest to users. An interactive geographical map has been added which allows over-winter simulations to be run at any location on Earth. In addition to encouraging more widespread use of the model, opening access to interested researchers will serve as a means of testing and validation which will allow further refinements to be made. This will hopefully lead to increased prediction accuracy over a wider range of conditions and a better understanding of the dynamic interactions involved in over-winter survival of cereal crops.