Terms of Use

Please read this carefully. By using Snow Doctor, you agree that you are solely responsible for your own safety in the backcountry.

1. Nature of the Service

Snow Doctor is an informational tool that aggregates and summarizes public data from third-party sources (such as Avalanche Canada and Environment Canada) for zones across British Columbia and Alberta.

We do not generate original avalanche, weather, or field data; we only reorganize and draw insights from existing data.

2. AI Summaries & Transparency

We use Large Language Models (LLMs) to help summarize complex weather and avalanche data. While we strive for accuracy, it is important to understand how this works:

  • Safeguards Implemented: We instruct the AI strictly against hallucinating (making up facts). We also implement self-auditing steps where the system attempts to gauge its own confidence and the representativeness of the data.
  • Transparency & Verification: To ensure you can verify the "Doctor's Orders," we display the raw source data alongside the AI summary. This is for you to be able to compare the inferences against the official source, as well as to draw your own takeaways.
  • Possibility of Error: Despite these safeguards, the summaries are only as good as the data it is provided with. The data comes from forecasts, which aren't always accurate, and field observations, which come from amateurs and professionals alike. Even so, the AI may still misinterpret or misrepresent the data.

3. Assumption of Risk & Liability

Backcountry recreation and travel is inherently dangerous and can result in serious injury or death.

By using this website, you explicitly acknowledge and agree that:

  • You assume all risks associated with backcountry travel.
  • Snow Doctor (and its creators/developers) shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from your use of this service.
  • You will not rely solely on this tool for decision-making.
  • You agree to hold the creators harmless from any claims, losses, or damages arising from your use of the site.

4. Third-Party Data

This website displays content sourced from:

  • Avalanche Canada: We are not affiliated with Avalanche Canada. Official bulletins should always be verified at avalanche.ca.
  • Environment and Climate Change Canada: Weather models (HRDPS/GDPS) are predictions, not guarantees.
  • OpenStreetMap & OpenSkiMap: Ski trail and map data is community-contributed and may be incomplete, outdated, or inaccurate. Snow Doctor may rely on certain derived or preprocessed attributes of this data to generate informational insights, which should be independently verified and not relied upon for safety-critical decisions.

All intellectual property rights for the underlying data remain with their respective owners.

5. Map & Trail Data Disclaimer

Snow Doctor displays ski trails and map features derived from community-contributed data in the OpenStreetMap project and enhanced by OpenSkiMap. This data is created and maintained by volunteers and is provided for general informational purposes only.

Snow Doctor may process or derive additional attributes from map and trail data (such as spatial relationships or geometric characteristics) in order to generate informational context or summaries. Any such derived information is inherently dependent on the accuracy of the underlying source data and may amplify existing errors or omissions.

Trail locations, names, difficulty ratings, and map alignments may be incomplete, outdated, inaccurate, or misaligned with real-world terrain. Trails may have changed, disappeared, become unsafe, or never existed as shown. Map data should never be relied upon for navigation, route finding, hazard assessment, or safety decisions in the backcountry or at ski areas.

By using this map data, you acknowledge and agree that you assume all risks associated with relying on community-generated geographic information. Snow Doctor, its creators, and contributors accept no responsibility or liability for errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in map or trail data, or for any injury, loss, or damage arising from its use.

Users are encouraged to apply critical judgment when viewing map and trail information. Familiar, locally recognized trail names (for example, “Banana Chute”) may be more indicative of established, real-world routes than generic or descriptive labels (such as “Intermediate Ski Run”). Cross-referencing this information with other mapping services, local guidebooks, signage, or firsthand knowledge can help identify discrepancies and improve situational awareness. If you notice inaccuracies, you are encouraged to contribute corrections directly to the OpenStreetMap and OpenSkiMap projects.

6. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of British Columbia, Canada. Even if you are accessing data for zones in Alberta or elsewhere, any disputes arising from the use of this website shall be resolved in the courts of British Columbia.