Each winter, the snowpack tells a story — a narrative shaped by every storm, wind event, and temperature change. This is the story of the snowpack, shared with communities across the mountains.
State of the Snowpack (SOTS) bridges the gap between Avalanche Canada’s regional forecasts and the local snowpack knowledge shared by guides and avalanche professionals. Together, we bring clear, accessible, and locally relevant snowpack information to the public.
Our vision is simple: reduce backcountry avalanche incidents through community connection, education, and shared expertise — helping more people make informed decisions and return home safely each day.
SOTS delivers this knowledge through free, community-based avalanche awareness events held in mountain towns across Canada. Join us this season as we share the story of the snowpack in your community.
Don’t miss your chance to win epic prizes - from touring gear and avalanche safety equipment to skis, boards, and everything in between!
Raffle tickets can only be bought by event attendees. (credit or debit/credit cards only — no cash accepted).
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All Proceeds benefit the State of the Snowpack.
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Jerome David has been working on Snow and Dirt in Whistler since 1998. On the road to becoming an ACMG ski guide, he worked 11 years with Whistler Blackcomb Patrol. He has been ski guiding for the past 19 years. In the summers, Jerome has previously had a long career working as Whistler Mountain Bike Park patrol. In the summer, he runs the Heli-Biking program for Coast Range Heli-Biking. In the Winter Jerome is lead guide and guide manager at Whistler Heli-Skiing.
Gabe Nolan is a professional mountain guide working between Washington State and British Columbia. Gabe has over a decade of experience in the industry as a Ski Instructor, Ski Patroller, Avalanche Educator, and Ski Guide, and has worked all over the globe, chasing winters in Utah, Japan, Wyoming, Washington, and Canada.
Meteorologist David Jones has been forecasting & broadcasting weather for decades. His passion is communicating weather to aid decision-making. A keen powder hound, Jones was the Environment Canada lead for the Avalanche Canada Mountain Weather Forecast. In 2015, for his dedicated service to media and emergency managers in British Columbia, he was awarded the Rube Hornstein Medal for excellence in operational meteorology and the Avalanche Canada Service Award. Today, Jones provides daily video forecasts for the Whistler alpine via Instagram and Substack.
