Privacy Policy

Introduction

PowderDash ("we," "us," "our"), owned and operated by Nataliia Ofitserova, respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you visit or interact with powderdash.com (the "Site"). We believe in transparency—this policy is written in plain English, not legalese.

By using the Site, you agree to this Privacy Policy. If you don't agree, please don't use the Site. We may update this policy periodically; changes will be posted here with a new "Last Updated" date.

Information We Collect

1. Information You Provide

When you contact us via our contact form or subscribe to our newsletter, you voluntarily provide:

• Name: To address you personally in responses.
• Email Address: To respond to inquiries or send newsletter updates.
• Message Content: Your questions, feedback, or comments.

We only collect what you explicitly provide. We don't require accounts, logins, or payment information—this is an informational site, not a transactional platform.

2. Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the Site, our server and third-party tools may automatically collect:

• Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device type (mobile/desktop).
• Usage Data: Pages viewed, time spent on pages, referral source (how you found us), clickstream data.
• Cookies & Local Storage: Small data files stored on your device to remember preferences (theme choice, unit preference) and analyze traffic. See our Cookie Policy for details.

This data is aggregated and anonymized for analytics purposes. It helps us understand how visitors use the Site and improve content and functionality.

3. Information We Don't Collect

We do not collect: Social Security numbers, credit card information, precise geolocation (beyond general city/region derived from IP), health information, or sensitive personal data. We don't track you across other websites (no third-party tracking pixels beyond standard analytics).

How We Use Your Information

We use collected information for the following purposes:

• Respond to Inquiries: Answer questions, provide support, address corrections.
• Send Newsletters: Deliver weekly snow reports and updates (opt-in only; unsubscribe anytime).
• Improve the Site: Analyze usage patterns to enhance content, design, and functionality.
• Prevent Abuse: Detect spam, bots, or malicious activity.
• Legal Compliance: Comply with laws, regulations, or legal processes if required.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. Ever. We do not use your data for advertising targeting or share it with data brokers.

Third-Party Services

We use limited third-party services to operate the Site. These services may collect data according to their own privacy policies:

• Analytics (e.g., Google Analytics or similar): Tracks pageviews, user behavior, and traffic sources. Data is anonymized and aggregated. You can opt out via browser settings or extensions like uBlock Origin.
• Hosting Provider: Our hosting provider stores Site files and logs. They have access to server data but do not use it for their own purposes.
• Email Service (if newsletter enabled): Manages newsletter subscriptions and sends emails. Your email is stored with this provider and used only for sending our newsletter.

Affiliate links to resorts or booking partners redirect you to external sites. Once you leave PowderDash, their privacy policies apply—we have no control over their data practices.

Cookies & Local Storage

We use cookies and browser local storage to enhance your experience. Specifically:

• Theme Preference: Remembers if you chose light or dark mode.
• Unit Preference: Remembers if you prefer metric (cm/m) or imperial (in/ft) units.
• Analytics Cookies: Track site usage for improvement purposes (can be blocked via browser settings).

You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but some Site features (theme toggle, unit preference) won't persist between visits. See our full Cookie Policy.

Data Retention

Contact Form Submissions: Retained for 2 years to reference past inquiries, then deleted.
Newsletter Subscriptions: Retained until you unsubscribe.
Analytics Data: Retained according to analytics provider policies (typically 26 months for Google Analytics), then auto-deleted.
Server Logs: Retained for 90 days for security and troubleshooting, then auto-deleted.

Your Rights (GDPR & Privacy Laws)

If you're in the European Union, UK, California, or other jurisdictions with privacy laws, you have rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: Request a copy of data we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate data.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your data (with exceptions for legal obligations).
• Portability: Receive your data in a machine-readable format.
• Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from newsletters or withdraw consent for data processing.
• Complaint: Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority if you believe we've mishandled your data.

To exercise these rights, contact us via our Contact page. We'll respond within 30 days. See our GDPR Notice for EU-specific details.

Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your data from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Measures include:

• HTTPS encryption for all Site traffic.
• Secure hosting with reputable providers.
• Limited access to personal data (only necessary personnel).
• Regular security reviews and updates.

However, no internet transmission is 100% secure. We can't guarantee absolute security, but we're committed to protecting your information to the best of our ability.

Children's Privacy

The Site is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you're a parent and believe your child provided information to us, contact us and we'll delete it immediately.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in practices or legal requirements. Updates will be posted here with a new "Last Updated" date. Significant changes will be communicated via a notice on the Site homepage or newsletter (if subscribed).

Contact Us

Questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data? Contact us via our Contact page. We'll respond within 24-48 hours.