Editorial Guidelines
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At Snowstorms.ca, our goal is to provide Canadians with accurate, useful, understandable, and trustworthy weather information.
These Editorial Guidelines explain the standards we follow when researching, creating, reviewing, updating, and correcting content published on Snowstorms.ca.
Our editorial approach is built around accuracy, transparency, reliable sourcing, clarity, and independence.
Our Editorial Principles
The following principles guide the content published on Snowstorms.ca:
Accuracy
We aim to ensure factual information is accurate and supported by reliable evidence before publication.
Authority
We prioritize authoritative sources, including government agencies, official weather and climate records, academic institutions, scientific research, and other reputable organizations.
Clarity
Weather information can be technical. We aim to explain complex weather concepts in language that is understandable to a general audience without changing their underlying meaning.
Transparency
We aim to clearly distinguish between official information, third-party weather data, editorial content, calculations, estimates, and predictions.
Timeliness
Weather information can change rapidly. Where appropriate, we update content and data as new or more authoritative information becomes available.
Independence
Editorial decisions are made based on what we believe is useful and relevant to our readers, not based on the interests of advertisers, sponsors, or other commercial relationships.
Research and Sourcing Standards
We prioritize primary and authoritative sources whenever reasonably available.
Depending on the topic, our research may draw from sources such as:
- Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)
- Government of Canada departments and agencies
- Provincial, territorial, and municipal governments
- Emergency management and public safety organizations
- Official weather and climate databases
- Universities and academic institutions
- Peer-reviewed scientific research
- Meteorological organizations
- Historical archives and official reports
- Reputable weather data providers
- Established news organizations
Important factual and quantitative claims should be supported by reliable evidence.
Where possible, we trace significant statistics, records, scientific claims, and official information back to their original source rather than relying exclusively on secondary reporting.
For a more detailed explanation of the sources we use and how different types of weather information are evaluated, see our Sources & Methodology.
Current Weather and Forecast Content
Current weather conditions and forecasts displayed on Snowstorms.ca may be obtained through third-party weather data providers, APIs, government sources, or other automated services.
Weather forecasts are inherently uncertain and may change as new observations become available and forecasting models are updated.
We aim to clearly distinguish automatically generated or retrieved weather information from editorial content produced by Snowstorms.ca.
We do not intentionally present forecasts or predictions as guaranteed outcomes.
Weather Alerts
Snowstorms.ca does not independently issue official weather warnings, watches, advisories, or emergency alerts.
When official alerts are displayed, referenced, or explained on Snowstorms.ca, we aim to accurately represent information originating from Environment and Climate Change Canada or another appropriate authority.
Educational pages explaining weather alerts may simplify technical terminology to make the information easier to understand, but should not materially alter the meaning of the official terminology.
During severe or rapidly changing weather, readers should consult the responsible government and emergency authorities for the latest official information and instructions.
Historical Weather Content
Historical weather events are an important part of Snowstorms.ca’s editorial coverage.
When researching significant historical storms and weather events, we aim to consult multiple reliable sources where sufficient information is available.
Particular care is taken with factual claims involving:
- Dates and timelines
- Snowfall and precipitation totals
- Temperatures
- Wind speeds
- Weather records
- Fatalities and injuries
- Economic damages
- Power outages
- Transportation disruptions
- Geographic impacts
Historical sources sometimes disagree. When meaningful discrepancies exist, we aim to rely on the strongest available evidence and provide appropriate context rather than presenting uncertain information as established fact.
Educational and Glossary Content
Snowstorms.ca publishes educational resources intended to help readers better understand weather conditions, terminology, alerts, forecasting, climate, safety, and related subjects.
Technical concepts may be rewritten in plain language for accessibility and readability.
Simplification should not materially change the scientific meaning of a concept.
Where appropriate, educational content is supported by authoritative meteorological, governmental, academic, or scientific sources.
Safety and Preparedness Content
Weather safety information published on Snowstorms.ca is intended to help readers understand potential hazards and commonly recommended preparedness measures.
For safety-related subjects, we prioritize guidance from government agencies, emergency management organizations, public safety authorities, and other appropriate authoritative sources.
Snowstorms.ca does not replace official emergency instructions or professional advice.
During an emergency or severe weather event, instructions from the appropriate authorities should take priority.
Fact-Checking
We aim to verify factual claims before publication, particularly when information involves weather records, historical events, safety, scientific explanations, or quantitative data.
Our fact-checking process may include:
- Reviewing the original source of a claim
- Comparing information across multiple reliable sources
- Checking dates, measurements, locations, and units
- Reviewing government or official records
- Identifying whether information is preliminary or finalized
- Checking that statistics are presented with appropriate context
- Reviewing calculations and derived information
- Confirming that sources support the claims attributed to them
The level of review may vary depending on the type, complexity, and significance of the content.
Source Attribution
We believe readers should be able to investigate important information for themselves.
Where appropriate, articles may link directly to the government agency, research paper, database, report, news organization, or other source supporting a claim.
Research-intensive and historical articles may also include a dedicated sources section identifying key references used in preparing the content.
Sources should be selected because they improve the accuracy, context, or usefulness of an article, not simply for the purpose of adding external links.
Artificial Intelligence and Automation
Snowstorms.ca may use artificial intelligence and automated technologies to assist with aspects of research, content production, organization, analysis, data processing, or website operation.
The use of these technologies does not eliminate our responsibility for the information we publish.
AI-generated or AI-assisted information may contain errors, omit important context, or misinterpret sources. Material factual claims should therefore be evaluated against reliable sources rather than treated as accurate solely because they were produced by an automated system.
Automated weather data, calculations, rankings, and predictive tools may also be used across Snowstorms.ca. Where these features materially affect how information should be interpreted, we aim to provide appropriate context about their methodology and limitations.
Corrections
Accuracy is a continuing responsibility.
If we discover that published content contains a material factual error, we aim to correct it as promptly as reasonably possible.
Depending on the nature of the issue, a correction may involve changing inaccurate information, adding missing context, updating outdated information, replacing an unreliable source, or clarifying language that could reasonably mislead readers.
We do not consider ordinary spelling, formatting, grammatical, or stylistic changes to be substantive corrections.
Content Updates
Weather and climate information evolves over time.
We may review and update existing content when:
- New or more authoritative information becomes available
- Government terminology or alert criteria change
- Historical records are revised
- Scientific understanding develops
- A source becomes unavailable or outdated
- Website tools or data providers change
- Additional context would materially improve an article
An older publication date does not necessarily mean an article is outdated. Evergreen educational and historical content may remain accurate for extended periods, while forecast-related information can change quickly.
Editorial Independence
Snowstorms.ca may generate revenue through advertising, sponsorships, affiliate relationships, partnerships, or other commercial activities.
Commercial relationships should not determine the factual conclusions of our editorial content.
Advertisers and sponsors do not receive the right to alter independent editorial conclusions solely because of a commercial relationship.
Where content is sponsored or a commercial relationship could reasonably affect how readers interpret the content, we aim to provide appropriate disclosure.
External Contributors
Snowstorms.ca may publish content from staff writers, freelance writers, subject-matter contributors, guest contributors, or other external authors.
Contributors are expected to follow applicable Snowstorms.ca editorial standards.
Submitted content may be reviewed, edited, fact-checked, updated, declined, or removed where appropriate.
Publication of a contributor’s work does not necessarily mean Snowstorms.ca endorses every opinion or position held by that contributor outside the published content.
Conflicts of Interest
Writers and contributors should avoid undisclosed conflicts of interest that could reasonably undermine the independence or credibility of their work.
Where a relevant financial, professional, or other material relationship could reasonably influence how readers interpret an article, appropriate disclosure should be considered.
User-Submitted Information
Readers may occasionally provide photographs, weather reports, corrections, tips, observations, or other information.
User-submitted information should not automatically be treated as verified.
Where user submissions contribute to factual reporting, we aim to evaluate or corroborate significant claims before presenting them as established facts.
Headlines and Presentation
Headlines, titles, featured images, excerpts, and other presentation elements should accurately represent the underlying content.
We aim to avoid headlines that materially exaggerate, distort, or misrepresent the available evidence solely to attract attention.
Weather can involve legitimate risks, and severe conditions should be communicated clearly without unnecessarily sensationalizing them.
Opinions and Analysis
Where Snowstorms.ca publishes commentary, analysis, predictions, or opinions rather than straightforward factual reporting, we aim to make that distinction reasonably clear.
Analysis may draw conclusions from available evidence, but those conclusions should not be presented as established facts when meaningful uncertainty remains.
Our Responsibility to Readers
Trustworthy weather information requires more than publishing large amounts of content.
Our goal is to make Snowstorms.ca a useful Canadian weather resource by prioritizing reliable sources, accurately representing uncertainty, explaining complex subjects clearly, correcting material errors, and being transparent about how our information is produced.
These standards may evolve as Snowstorms.ca grows, introduces new technologies, expands its coverage, or develops new weather tools and services.
12. Contact Us
We welcome questions, corrections, and feedback about our editorial practices.
If you believe an article contains an error, a source has been misrepresented, or content does not meet these Editorial Guidelines, please contact us through our Contact page.