Last Updated: October 9, 2026

Snow Guru ("we," "our," or "the app") is an avalanche safety and backcountry awareness application. We are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information Snow Guru collects, how it is stored, and how it is used.

Your personal data stays on your device. Snow Guru stores your information locally using your device's browser storage (localStorage). We do not operate servers that collect, transmit, or store your personal data. The only information the app sends on its own is an anonymous crash report when something goes wrong, and it contains no personal data (see Crash Reports below). Your profile information, checklist progress, trip logs, ALPTRUTh assessments, tour planning data, trip-plan details, saved contacts and cars, and reminders never leave your device unless you choose to send them yourself (for example, in a text message, feedback form, or feedback email you send from the app).

If you clear your browser data or uninstall the app, all locally stored data will be permanently deleted.

During onboarding and app usage, you may voluntarily provide:

• Profile name — a display name of your choosing
• Backcountry activity preferences — the activities you participate in (e.g., ski touring, splitboarding)
• Experience and comfort levels — your self-assessed experience with backcountry activities, steep terrain, tree skiing, and gear
• Risk tolerance — your preferred risk threshold for traveling in avalanche terrain
• Fitness level and medical conditions — information you choose to share for safety planning purposes
• Motivational photo — an image you select from your device, stored locally
• Gear ownership information — whether you own avalanche safety equipment
• Trip log entries — locations, notes, observations, and photos from your backcountry trips
• Tour planning data — area, route plans, partner names, weather notes, and danger ratings
• Trip-plan details — for "Someone Off Mountain Knows the Plans": a text recipient, companions and their phone numbers, parking location, car make and model, expected completion time, and emergency time
• Reminders — reminder notes you add (for example, gear to fix)
• Newsletter signup — if you opt in to our newsletter, you will be directed to an external Google Form to provide your email and other optional information. No newsletter data is collected or stored within the app itself.

All other data listed above is stored exclusively on your device.

Snow Guru does not upload these to our servers:

• Location or GPS data (used only on your device when you tap Use my location or Get my location, unless you include it in a text you send or read it to an emergency dispatcher)
• Contacts or address book data (names and numbers you pick stay on your device, unless you include them in a text you send)
• Notification content (reminders are scheduled and shown on your device only; Snow Guru does not use push notification servers)
• Device identifiers or advertising IDs (crash reports may include a random ID created by the crash-reporting software for this app install; it is not linked to you, your device's advertising ID, or any account)
• Usage analytics or tracking data
• Cookies or cross-site tracking information
• Payment or financial information

Snow Guru may request these optional device permissions. You can decline them and still use the rest of the app.

• Contacts — To let you pick one text recipient and companions from your phone, and save those people on this device for next time. Snow Guru does not upload your address book.
• Location (while using the app) — Read once, only when you tap a location button: Use my location fills in your parking coordinates for your trip plan, and Get my location (Mountain Resources → Emergency Aids) shows your current latitude and longitude so you can read them to a 
• 911 dispatcher. Get my location uses your device's GPS and works without cell service. Snow Guru does not track your location persistently or in the background, does not call 911 or share your location for you, and does not upload your location.
• Photo library — To let you choose photos (such as your motivational photo or a victory pic) and save victory pics you create. Photos stay on your device.
• Camera — Optional. If you choose Take Photo when adding a motivational photo or a Victory Pic, Snow Guru uses the camera for that shot only. Photos stay on your device unless you choose to save or share them.
• Alarms — Optional, on supported iOS versions. If you tap Set a loud alarm on a trip reminder, Snow Guru asks permission to schedule a system alarm on your device at the time you choose, so it can ring even when your phone is on silent or in a Focus mode. Alarms are created and delivered entirely on your device; nothing is sent to us. You can cancel the alarm or turn off this permission at any time in your device settings.
• Notifications — Only if you turn on Notifications in Snow Guru's Settings. Snow Guru schedules local notifications on your device: trip check-in reminders at the expected completion time and before the emergency time you set in your trip plan, and a weekly nudge when you have open reminders. Notifications are created and delivered entirely on your device; no push server is used and nothing is sent to us. You can turn them off at any time in Snow Guru's Settings or your device settings.

Snow Guru does not request microphone or background location access.

If you choose to subscribe to the Snow Guru newsletter during onboarding, you will be directed to an external Google Form. Any information you provide through that form (such as your email address) is collected and stored by Google Forms, subject to Google's Privacy Policy. This data is accessible only to the Snow Guru team and is used solely for sending occasional newsletters. We will not sell, share, or distribute your email address to any third parties. You may unsubscribe at any time by contacting us at support@mysnowguru.com.

If you tap Send feedback (on Home or in Settings), Snow Guru opens a Google Form in an in-app browser. Your answers are stored in the Snow Guru developer's Google account, subject to Google's Privacy Policy, and are used only to improve Snow Guru and, if you ask for one, to reply to you. The form does not collect your email address unless you choose to provide it for a reply, and Snow Guru does not attach your location, profile, trip data, or any other personal data from the app. If you prefer, you can email support@mysnowguru.com instead; that opens your email app and nothing is sent unless you send it. We do not sell or share feedback.

If Snow Guru crashes or hits an unexpected error, the app sends an anonymous crash report to Sentry (Functional Software, Inc.), a crash-reporting service, so we can find and fix the problem. A crash report contains:

• The error message and stack trace (which part of the app's code failed)
• Your device model, operating system and version
• The Snow Guru version and build number
• A short trail of in-app events just before the error (for example, which screen was open), with web addresses shortened, typed text removed, and any coordinates removed

Crash reports do not include your name, email address, phone number, contacts, location, photos, profile, trip plans, trip logs, or any other data you enter in the app. Snow Guru does not record your screen or sessions, and it does not use Sentry for analytics, performance tracking, or advertising. As with any internet request, Sentry can see your device's IP address when a report is sent; we do not ask Sentry to store it. Crash reports are used only to diagnose and fix problems, are kept only for Sentry's standard data retention period, and are not sold or shared. Sentry processes crash reports under its own Privacy Policy.

Snow Guru does not integrate with third-party analytics, advertising, or tracking services. The app uses these external services:

• Crash reporting — Sentry receives anonymous crash reports as described in Crash Reports above, subject to Sentry's Privacy Policy.
• Public avalanche and weather forecasts — Snow Guru downloads avalanche forecasts from the National Avalanche Center (api.avalanche.org) and weather forecasts from the U.S. National Weather Service (api.weather.gov) for the forecast area you choose. These requests use the forecast area, not your GPS location, and include no personal information. As with any internet request, those services can see your device's IP address.
• Newsletter (optional) — a Google Form for newsletter signups, subject to Google's Privacy Policy.
• Feedback (optional) — a Google Form for feedback, subject to Google's Privacy Policy.
• Maps app (optional) — If you tap Open Maps in your trip plan, Snow Guru opens your device's maps app (Apple Maps on iPhone, your default maps app on Android, or Google Maps in a browser on the web) with the parking location or coordinates you entered, or with no location if that field is empty. That app's own privacy policy applies to what it does with that location.

The app contains links to external resources (such as avalanche safety research papers and educational content). When you follow these links, you leave Snow Guru and are subject to the privacy policies of those external websites.

Snow Guru is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Since personal data is stored only on the user's device and is not transmitted to us (crash reports are anonymous), we have no means of identifying or accessing data from any user, including minors.

Because all data is stored locally on your device, you have full control over your data at all times. You can delete all app data by:

• Using the device's browser or app settings to clear site/app data
• Uninstalling the app

We do not retain any copies of your personal data, as it is never transmitted to our servers. Anonymous crash reports are kept by Sentry only for its standard data retention period.

Your data is stored locally on your device and protected by your device's own security measures (passcode, biometrics, encryption). Since your personal data is not transmitted to us over the internet, there is no risk of it being intercepted on the way to our servers. Anonymous crash reports are sent to Sentry over encrypted (HTTPS) connections.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be reflected by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or Snow Guru's data practices, please contact us at:

Email: support@mysnowguru.com

Snow Guru is an informational tool designed to support avalanche safety awareness. It does not replace professional avalanche safety training, certified instruction, or real-time avalanche forecasts from authoritative sources. Users are solely responsible for their own safety decisions in avalanche terrain.