New: Snowmobile Trail Maps Now Live

Snowmobilers, sled-necks, and snow enthusiasts, this one’s for you: the onX Offroad Premium App now has Snow Mode. That means you can find snowmobile trail maps across the U.S. and check out avalanche forecasts and see slope angles — all in your Offroad App.

Snowmobile Trail GPS App

In the same App that you access more than 425,000 dirt trails (ahem, your Offroad App) you can now switch from Dirt Mode to Snow Mode with a single tap. onX Offroad Premium users can use Snow Mode to see snowmobile trails, avalanche forecasts, and slope angles. Here’s how to make the switch:

• On the main map screen tap Map Mode: Dirt. This pulls up the Mode card, where you can switch between Dirt and Snow.
• Collapse the Map Mode card and scan the map for purple (snowmobile) trails. None in your area? Zoom out and scroll around. Tap Discover to find snowmobile trails near you.
• Want to return to Dirt Mode? Simply tap “Map Mode: Snow” again on the map.

View Avalanche Forecasts in the App

Imagine this: there’s ten inches of snow predicted in the morning. You wake up in the dark, too excited to sleep. Before you’ve even had coffee you pull up the daily avalanche report and make sure your favorite riding area is in the clear. Anybody else done this? Even if you live in the flatland, familiarizing yourself with avalanche forecasts is a great way to get to know an area and its conditions before you travel there.

Now, check out trails and avalanche forecasts all in one place. Less time planning = more time playing.

• Once in Snow Mode, the avalanche forecast layer is automatically on. (Don’t see it? Tap “Map Mode: Snow” on the map and tap the Avalanche Forecast layer.)
• If you are not in an avalanche risk area, zoom out to expand your view.
• Look for shaded blocks over the map colored green, yellow, orange, red, or black.
• Tap a block to pull up a link to the avalanche center and detailed information.

IMPORTANT: It is your responsibility to thoroughly understand what these avalanche forecast colors, warnings, and descriptions mean. Sign up for avalanche classes, know how to use a beacon and backcountry gear, and educate yourself about the very real dangers of snowmobiling in avalanche terrain.

How to See Slope Angles in the App

A mountain’s “slope angle” is measured in degrees of steepness. Know what’s mellow and what’s steep as ‘bleep.’ As snowmobilers we often look for the steep, deep and fun stuff: hill climbs, places to high mark, and powder-filled bowls. But, many of the “sweet spot” slopes (think: double black diamonds in resorts) can be the most dangerous for avalanches.

• Tap the Map Mode button on the map.
• Tap Snow to enter snow mode.
• Tap Slope Angle to turn on the Slope Angle layer.
• Minimize the card and scan the map to see angles. Head over to places like California or Colorado to view greater variants in slope.
• Greens and yellows show the lowest slope angles (less steep). Orange, red, purples and blues show the highest slope angles (those over 35 degrees). 

IMPORTANT: Slope angles are a great tool for planning a great snowmobile trip, but they do not replace professional avalanche forecasts and your own training and common sense.

Stay Safe, Ride Smart

onX Offroad is designed to send you into the outdoors with confidence, but nothing can replace your own common sense and due diligence. Make sure you check avalanche forecasts daily, take backcountry snowmobile safety classes, always travel with a buddy, and make sure your phone is charged so you can use your Offroad maps to get home safely. Be prepared that anything can happen in the backcountry.

Learn more about Snow Mode here