Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is valued for its high protein content and symbiotic nitrogen fixation. The use of pea as a green manure and cover crop in rotations has been increasing. Pea is grown as a winter crop but current varieties are not able to survive the harsh winter of areas like North Dakota. This study has developed a protocol to select for winter hardiness in a greenhouse setting using a freeze chamber. Selections were made after acclimating for 4 weeks and freezing to -8°C. The protocol was used on a subset of two recombinant inbred line populations, Pril-1 (‘Shawnee’/ ‘Melrose’) and Pril-2 (‘Medora’/ ‘Melrose’). The results of the greenhouse study correlated to field survival of both populations. The implementation of this protocol detected three QTL associated with winter hardiness, corresponding to previously discovered QTL. The use of this protocol will decrease the time needed for selection of winter hardy varieties.