Nine skiers were reported missing after an avalanche swept through California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, as rescue teams worked in hazardous conditions following earlier high-risk warnings.
The avalanche struck the Castle Peak area of Truckee, around 10 miles north of Lake Tahoe, at approximately 11:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office. The slide engulfed a group of 15 skiers, a revised figure from an earlier estimate of 16. Six individuals were rescued after being stranded, with two transported to hospital for treatment. Authorities said no further updates were expected on Tuesday evening.
Rescue teams were dispatched from Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Center. Survivors had taken refuge in a makeshift shelter constructed partly from tarpaulin sheets and communicated with rescuers using a radio beacon and text messaging. Officials did not disclose how many of the missing were ski guides or paying customers, and the sheriff declined to identify the ski tour company involved.
A winter storm warning was in effect across much of northern California, with heavy snowfall forecast at higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada. The Sierra Avalanche Center had issued a “high avalanche danger” alert before dawn on Tuesday for the ski region. Weather conditions in the backcountry remained unstable, with additional avalanche activity expected through Tuesday night and into Wednesday.
If all nine missing skiers are confirmed dead, the incident would rank among the deadliest single avalanches recorded in the United States. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center has reported six avalanche fatalities nationwide so far this season, with an average of 27 deaths each winter over the past decade. California Governor Gavin Newsom was briefed on the incident, and state authorities said they were coordinating a comprehensive search-and-rescue effort with local emergency teams.
