Avalanche near Lake Tahoe | 8 dead, 1 skier still missing

WHERE THE NEWS COMES FIRST. LIVE FROM KCRA THREE NEWS. WE BEGIN WITH BREAKING NEWS. EIGHT BACKCOUNTRY SKIERS DIED IN AN AVALANCHE. ONE REMAINS MISSING, AND THAT PERSON IS PRESUMED DEAD. AFTER AVALANCHE NEAR CASTLE PEAK. A GROUP OF 15 IN ALL WERE RETURNING FROM A THREE DAY EXPEDITION WHEN IT HAPPENED MONDAY MORNING AROUND 1130. THE BODIES OF THE VICTIMS HAVE NOT BEEN RECOVERED YET. ON TUESDAY MORNING, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN RECOVERED. THOSE BODIES, BECAUSE OF EXTREME CONDITIONS, NOT A RESOURCE ISSUE AS WE SPEAK. IT IS A CONDITIONS, WEATHER CONDITION AND SAFETY CONDITION FOR OUR RESPONSE TEAMS. AND THIS AVALANCHE THAT HAPPENED TUESDAY MORNING, YESTERDAY IS THE STATE’S DEADLIEST AVALANCHE ON RECORD. ALL THIS HAPPENING DURING A MAJOR STORM THAT CONTINUES TO HIT THE SIERRA. WE HAVE LIVE TEAM COVERAGE FOR YOU FOLLOWING THIS TRAGEDY, BEGINNING WITH KCRA 3’S MARICELA DE LA CRUZ AND THE RECOVERY EFFORTS. YEAH, THE RECOVERY THE RECOVERY EFFORTS ARE STILL ONGOING AS WE’RE TRYING TO FIND OUT MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN THIS GROUP. TODAY, WE LEARNED THAT THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 15 PEOPLE THAT SET OUT ON A THREE DAY PLANNED TRIP THAT INCLUDED FOUR GUIDES AND 11 CLIENTS. NOW I’M GOING TO GIVE YOU MORE DETAILS ON THIS. ON THIS INCIDENT. WE KNOW AGAIN THAT IT WAS 15 PEOPLE. THE GROUP INCLUDED NINE WOMEN AND SIX MEN. THE AVALANCHE HAPPENED YESTERDAY MORNING, ABOUT A MILE FROM WHERE ANOTHER SLIDE OCCURRED IN JANUARY. SEVERAL AGENCIES IN AND OUT OF THE STATE DEPLOYED CREWS FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE MOUNTAIN, AND AT AROUND 530 LAST NIGHT, A RESCUE TEAM FOUND SIX SURVIVORS. THE NEVADA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS THE SURVIVORS INCLUDED ONE GUIDE AND FIVE CLIENTS, AGES 30 TO 55. NOW, TWO WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL, BUT WE KNOW THAT ONE HAS SINCE BEEN RELEASED AND THE OTHER IS EXPECTED TO SURVIVE. AUTHORITIES SAY ONE OF THE VICTIMS IS THE SPOUSE OF A MEMBER OF THE TAHOE NORDIC SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM, AND THOSE RESCUE CREWS NOW HAVE THE TASK OF FINDING ONE REMAINING MISSING SKIER AND BRINGING THE REMAINS OF THOSE LOST BACK HOME. WITH MORE SNOW ON THE WAY, HORRIFIC CONDITIONS, JUST WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. IT’S A IT’S A KNOWN AREA WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF MISSIONS, SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSIONS. THAT CASTLE PEAK, PETER GRUBB, FROG LAKE AREA. SO WE TRAIN IN THAT AREA. SO THEY KNEW THE TERRAIN. THAT DOESN’T MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE THE WIND CONDITIONS. NOW, OFFICIALS AT THIS TIME ARE URGING SKIERS AND OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS TO STAY OUT OF BACKCOUNTRY AREAS. BACKCOUNTRY SKIING AT THIS TIME, AS WE ARE EXPECTING MORE SNOW ON THE WAY. FOR NOW, WE’RE LIVE. MARICELA DE LA CRUZ KCRA THREE NEWS. OKAY, MARICELA, THANK YOU. AND WE WANT TO GIVE YOU A 3D VIEW HERE TO GIVE YOU A PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT HAPPENED HERE. AS WE ZOOM IN, THIS BACKCOUNTRY AREA IS JUST NORTH OF 80. IT IS THE CASTLE PEAK AREA, WHICH IS JUST ABOUT HERE. THEY DON’T GROOM THIS AREA BACKCOUNTRY THIS TIME OF YEAR. AND WE KNOW FROM BLACKBIRD, THE COMPANY THAT GUIDED THE TRIP. THE GROUP STAYED HERE AT THE FROG LAKE BACKCOUNTRY HUTS. THEY’VE BEEN THERE SINCE SUNDAY. IT’S REALLY TOUGH TO GET RESERVATIONS HERE THROUGH THE TAHOE DONNER LAND TRUST, BUT ON THIS AREA RIGHT THROUGH HERE. AND WE DON’T KNOW IF THAT’S THE PATH THEY TOOK BECAUSE THEY WERE CAUGHT IN A STORM. BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THESE ARE THE COORDINATES OF WHERE THAT AVALANCHE HAPPENED AND PRESUMABLY WHERE WE HAVE NINE SKIERS THIS HOUR WAITING TO BE RECOVERED. LISA. ALL RIGHT. WE WANT TO BRING IN KCRA 3’S BRIAN HICKEY RIGHT NOW. TALK MORE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AS AN EXPERIENCED BACKCOUNTRY SKIER YOURSELF IN THIS RESCUE OPERATION THAT WE KNOW IS NOW A RECOVERY OPERATION. BRIAN? YEAH. LISA, I’VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME OUT IN THIS AREA. I’VE NEVER STAYED AT THE FROG LAKE HUTS, BUT HAVE SKIED UP AND DOWN ANDESITE PEAK. CASTLE PEAK AND THE BACKSIDE OF THIS AREA WHERE IT’S CALLED PERRY’S POINT, BUT JUST NEVER DOWN INTO FROG LAKE. AND WONDERFUL AREA TO GO BACK COUNTRY SKIING WHEN THE CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT. AND WE KNOW YESTERDAY THE CREWS MADE IT OUT THERE. THEY WERE ABLE TO LOCATE EIGHT OF THE NINE VICTIMS IN THIS AVALANCHE. AND AS THEY CONFIRMED THIS MORNING USING AVALANCHE BEACONS, A TRANSCEIVER, ANYTIME YOU GO INTO THE BACKCOUNTRY, JUST LIKE A BICYCLIST WOULD WEAR A HELMET OR A KAYAKER WOULD WEAR A LIFE JACKET. WHEN WE GO INTO THE BACKCOUNTRY, WE ALWAYS WEAR OUR BEACON, WHICH IS HERE. I’LL SHOW YOU IN A MINUTE. WE BRING A PROBE WITH US AND A SHOVEL. THIS STUFF NORMALLY LIVES IN MY BACKPACK. I PULLED IT OUT FOR TO KEEP THINGS QUICK HERE FOR YOU. BUT HERE IS MY BEACON. I KEEP IT DOWN ON MY LOWEST LAYER SO THAT IF I HAVE TO SHED A LAYER TO STAY COOL, I’M NOT GOING TO LOSE MY BEACON. RIGHT NOW. I’M IN SEND MODE. I’M GOING TO SWITCH THIS TO RECEIVE. I HAVE A BEACON BURIED IN THE SNOW PILE BEHIND ME, SO WE’LL SHOW YOU WHAT HAPPENS. NOW I’M IN SEARCH MODE. WE’RE GOING TO WAIT FOR IT. IT’S PICKED UP A SIGNAL. THIS IS ACTUALLY PICKED UP THREE BEACONS. THERE’S FOLKS NEARBY THAT ARE BEEPING RIGHT NOW. NORMALLY ON A DAY LIKE THIS, I WOULD SKI WITH MY BEACON IN THE RESORT AS WELL. I KNOW THAT MINE IS THE CLOSEST, SO I’M GOING TO FOLLOW THESE ARROWS STRAIGHT AHEAD RIGHT NOW. NOW IT’S LEADING ME TO THE RIGHT. IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THE BEACONS SEND THE SIGNAL OUT IN A CURVED PATTERN. IT’S A MAGNETIC WAVE. IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MAGNETICS. SO I’M FOLLOWING THAT WAVE IN. IT CIRCLED ME TO THE RIGHT. OKAY, NOW WE’RE GETTING CLOSE. LISTEN TO THE BEEP. IT’S OVER HERE. 1.6, 1.6. SO AT THIS POINT, I’M WITHIN THREE FEET. NOW I CAN JUST START AIMLESSLY DIGGING. BUT THIS IS THE POINT WHERE YOU START PROBING. YOU’RE LOOKING IN THE SNOW RIGHT HERE. NOW THAT’S NORMALLY WHAT YOU WOULD DO. I KNOW THAT I BURIED THE BEACON RIGHT HERE. SO THIS IS KIND OF A GIVE ME. BUT THE ARROW DID LEAD ME RIGHT TO THE BEACON. AND THIS COULD BE OUR OTHER VICTIM RIGHT HERE. AND SO THAT’S WHY THESE ARE THREE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT CRUCIAL FOR BACKCOUNTRY TRAVEL AND WHAT THEY USE TO LOCATE THOSE VICTIMS. LAST NIGHT, THEY DID HAVE TO LEAVE THEM. THEY DID SAY THAT THEY LEFT THEIR PROBES THERE. AND THEY MARKED THOSE VICTIMS. YOU CAN SEE HOW TALL THIS IS. SO ANY NEW SNOW THAT COMES IN, ONCE THEY’RE ABLE TO SAFELY GO BACK OUT THERE, THEY’LL BE ABLE TO LOCATE AND RECOVER THOSE VICTIMS IN THIS TRAGIC INCIDENT. BUT THIS PILE, OBVIOUSLY PUT HERE BY A SNOWPLOW IS NOT ALL THAT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT HAPPENS IN AN AVALANCHE. THAT SOFT, FLUFFY POWDER, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO THE HILL, AS SOON AS IT STOPS, IT SETS UP. IT’S VERY DENSE, VERY DIFFICULT TO DIG WITH YOUR HAND. ONCE YOU GET DOWN INTO SOME OF THOSE ICIER LAYERS. SO IT’S CRITICAL TO HAVE A SHOVEL AND THE NECESSARY TOOLS. AND THAT’S WHAT THEY WERE DEALING WITH IN WHITEOUT GALE FORCE WINDS LAST NIGHT. SO AGAIN, A TIP OF THE HAT TO THOSE RESCUERS THAT WENT OUT IN THOSE CONDITIONS, RESCUED SIX AND RECOVERED EIGHT AND SADLY STILL HAVE ONE MORE TO LOOK FOR. BACK TO YOU AND BRIAN. DO YOU THINK MAYBE THE BEACON BECAME DETACHED FROM THAT ONE PERSON, THAT THEY’RE STILL LOOKING FOR THEIR BODY, RIGHT, OR RAN OUT OF BATTERY? I CAN’T SAY I DON’T KNOW. I DON’T KNOW IF IT RAN OUT OF BATTERY. MAYBE HE WASN’T TURNED ON ANY PRUDENT BACKCOUNTRY SKIER. WE DO A BEACON CHECK EVERY TIME BEFORE WE HEAD OUT. ARE YOU BEEPING? YES. BOOM BOOM. WE GO. WE GO THROUGH THE GROUP. SO WHY THAT ONE? WHY? WHY THEY DIDN’T PICK UP THAT SIGNAL. OR PERHAPS THEY DID AND DIDN’T HAVE TIME TO GET TO IT. I CAN’T ANSWER THAT. WE JUST KNOW THAT THERE’S ONE PERSON RIGHT NOW UNACCOUNTED FOR. AND IF THAT BEACON IS NOT WORKING, THEY WILL GO IN WITH A LINE OF SEARCHERS SHOULDER TO SHOULDER, AND THEY WILL PROBE THE SNOW, TAKE A STEP, PROBE THE SNOW, AND JUST KEEP LOOKING UNTIL THEY GET A STRIKE. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THAT’S A GREAT EXPLANATION. AND THEY SEEM TO BE SO ACCURATE. IT’S FASCINATING TO WATCH THOSE IN ACTION. BRIAN HICKEY THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THANKS FOR YOUR EXPERTISE ON THE SUBJECT. SURE. WELL, THIS AFTERNOON, THE CLOSE KNIT COMMUNITY OF TRUCKEE IS GRIEVING AS WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THOSE INVOLVED. OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE NOT IDENTIFYING THE VICTIMS RIGHT NOW OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE FAMILIES. KCRA 3’S CECIL HANNIBAL SPOKE TO RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA THIS AFTERNOON. SO, CECIL, HOW ARE THEY REACTING TO THE NEWS? PEOPLE ARE BOTH SHOCKED, STUNNED, AND LIKE YOU SAID, THIS COMMUNITY IS HURTING RIGHT NOW. WE DON’T KNOW THE NAMES OR IDENTITIES OF THOSE VICTIMS, BUT WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT THIS IS AN AREA WHERE TRUCKEE RIGHT NOW, WHERE THAT COMPANY, BLACKBAUD IS BASED, AND THIS IS A COMMUNITY, GUYS, WHERE SKIING, SNOWBOARDING, BEING IN THE MOUNTAINS IS A PART OF THE LOCAL ECONOMY, BUT ALSO A WAY OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE. YOU DON’T FIND MANY PEOPLE IN THIS AREA THAT DON’T SKI THEMSELVES, RIGHT, OR AREN’T FAMILIAR WITH WHERE ALL OF THIS HAPPENED. SO TODAY, GUYS, WHEN I TALK TO PEOPLE, BOTH, YOU KNOW, VETERAN SKIERS, BUT ALSO TRAVELERS COMING FROM THE BAY AREA TO THE RESORTS RIGHT NOW, THEY SAY THEY ARE JUST STUNNED BY WHAT HAPPENED. YOU JUST YOU DON’T THINK THAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. I MEAN, I I’VE SURVIVED IN THE MOUNTAINS DOING EXTREME SPORTS FOR OVER 50 YEARS. AND IT TEACHES YOU THAT NOTHING IS GUARANTEED. IT’S TERRIBLE THAT YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE, WHENEVER YOU GO SKIING OR SNOWBOARDING, IT’S IT’S IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND, ESPECIALLY WHEN BIG STORMS COME AND IT’S JUST YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE. I FEEL TERRIBLE FOR EVERYONE, FAMILIES AND EVERYTHING, SO I JUST FELT TERRIBLE. WELL, IT’S JUST BEYOND TERRIBLE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE’VE BEEN IN THE AREA, WE’VE WE’VE HIKED IT, WE’VE RIDDEN OUR BIKES THERE. WE WERE ON VOLUNTEER SKI PATROL AND WE’VE HAD FATAL ACCIDENTS WITH AVALANCHES. SO IT’S BEEN IT’S BEEN HEARTBREAKING. AND I JUST I DON’T KNOW THE DETAILS, BUT I WORRY ABOUT THE FAMILIES OF THE PEOPLE WHO DIED. AND I MEAN, IT’S JUST TERRIBLE. YEAH, JUST TERRIBLE FOR SURE. THE COUPLE WHO YOU JUST HEARD FROM, LIKE YOU JUST HEARD FROM THEM, THEY’VE BEEN TO FROG LAKE BEFORE MANY TIMES. THE GENTLEMAN SAID IT’S A BEAUTIFUL LOCATION. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU DON’T EXPECT SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN HERE. BUT I ASKED HIM, DID YOU EXPECT THIS? HE SAYS, WITH, YOU KNOW, BEING IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH AVALANCHES, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT COULD HAPPEN. HE SAID, IT’S REALLY SOBERING BECAUSE PEOPLE HERE LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THE OUTDOORS. AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN A TRAGEDY LIKE THIS CAN HAPPEN. THE GENTLEMAN YOU ALSO HEARD FROM WAS TRAVELING FROM THE BAY AREA. I ASKED HIM, YOU KNOW, DO YOU HAVE ANY HESITATION NOW? HE WANTS TO KEEP SKIING. BUT WHEN YOU HEAR ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS, THE DEADLIEST AVALANCHE IN THE HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA HAPPENING JUST A DAY AGO, HE SAYS AGAIN, IT IS LIKE EVERYONE SAYING IT’S SOBERING, BUT IT’S ALSO A REMINDER OF HOW

8 backcountry skiers found dead, one still missing after avalanche near Lake Tahoe

Updated: 4:18 PM PST Feb 18, 2026

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Eight backcountry skiers died and one remains missing after an avalanche in the Lake Tahoe area, officials said on Wednesday. The rescue mission is now a recovery mission because the missing skier is presumed dead.Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said a group of 15 skiers was in the Castle Peak area when the sheriff’s office got a report of an avalanche around 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday. She said challenging weather conditions made it difficult for crews to reach the site of the avalanche.Crews arrived at the scene just after 5:30 p.m. and used a snowcat to travel two miles before skiing the rest of the way to avoid another avalanche. There, they found six survivors, a Black Mountain Guides employee and five clients. The group had made a makeshift shelter.What we know about the group of skiersBlackbird Mountain Guides said the group had been staying at the Frog Lake huts since Sunday and was in the process of returning to the trailhead at the conclusion of a three-day trip when the avalanche occurred. After getting the survivors to safety, crews continued the search for the remaining nine skiers. Moon said crews later found eight of the skiers deceased and that one skier is still missing but is presumed dead given the harsh weather conditions that included freezing temperatures and gale force winds.Moon said the survivors were four men and two women, ages ranging from 30 to 55. Of the survivors, two were too injured to walk and required assistance getting to the snowcat.Both were taken to the hospital, Moon said. One of the survivors has since been stabilized and released and the other is still being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.Moon said that of the other nine skiers, seven were female, and two were men. Officials during the news conference stated that weather, not resources, is posing an issue in finding the remaining skier. They also said Blackbird Mountain Guides is cooperating with the search.”The leadership team at Blackbird Mountain Guides is working in full coordination with the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office and Nevada County Search and Rescue to support the ongoing rescue operation,” the company said Tuesday. “Blackbird Mountain Guides is in direct contact with the emergency contacts of the affected clients and guides and is providing them with regular updates as verified information becomes available.”The Associated Press reported it was the country’s deadliest avalanche in four decades. In 1981, 11 climbers were killed on Mount Rainier in Washington. This is also the deadliest avalanche in California recorded history. In March 1911, an avalanche in Mono County near Conway Summit wiped out the entire town of Jordan, killing eight people. More recently, seven people were killed in 1982 at Alpine Meadows.”Our hearts are with the victims and their families of this horrific tragedy,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said on social platform X. “Local and state officials quickly mobilized a robust search-and-rescue mission, with nearly 100 first responders working in daunting conditions throughout the night, to search for these missing backcountry skiers. We mourn this profound loss.”Ski expert Brian Hickey weighs in on challenging terrainKCRA 3’s Brian Hickey said he’s done a lot of backcountry skiing on Castle Peak but has not been to Frog Lake. But he said there is steep terrain in the area that is prone to avalanches. On Wednesday, he talked about the conditions rescue crews had to face.Nevada County sheriff’s deputies and a search and rescue team, along with the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Washoe County Search and Rescue, and Truckee Fire were involved in the search effort. Nearly 100 first responders were involved in the search effort, Newsom said on X. Capt. Russell Green with the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said first responders were notified by the ski tour company after the avalanche. “People go out and use the backcountry at all times,” he said. “We advise against it honestly, but I wouldn’t say that it’s uncommon, not that it was a wise choice.” Avalanche warning issued hours priorEarlier in the day, the Sierra Avalanche Center issued an avalanche warning for parts of the area, which includes Castle Peak. The warning is in effect through 5 a.m. Thursday.The avalanche happened as a snowstorm continued to dump piles of snow in the area, leading to the shutdown of highways and multiple spinouts and crashes. Meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn said that Soda Springs, near Castle Peak, had recorded up to 40 inches of snow so far since Monday.See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at kcra.com/upload.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=

Eight backcountry skiers died and one remains missing after an avalanche in the Lake Tahoe area, officials said on Wednesday. The rescue mission is now a recovery mission because the missing skier is presumed dead.

Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said a group of 15 skiers was in the Castle Peak area when the sheriff’s office got a report of an avalanche around 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday. She said challenging weather conditions made it difficult for crews to reach the site of the avalanche.

Crews arrived at the scene just after 5:30 p.m. and used a snowcat to travel two miles before skiing the rest of the way to avoid another avalanche. There, they found six survivors, a Black Mountain Guides employee and five clients. The group had made a makeshift shelter.

What we know about the group of skiers

Blackbird Mountain Guides said the group had been staying at the Frog Lake huts since Sunday and was in the process of returning to the trailhead at the conclusion of a three-day trip when the avalanche occurred.

After getting the survivors to safety, crews continued the search for the remaining nine skiers. Moon said crews later found eight of the skiers deceased and that one skier is still missing but is presumed dead given the harsh weather conditions that included freezing temperatures and gale force winds.

Moon said the survivors were four men and two women, ages ranging from 30 to 55. Of the survivors, two were too injured to walk and required assistance getting to the snowcat.

Both were taken to the hospital, Moon said. One of the survivors has since been stabilized and released and the other is still being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Moon said that of the other nine skiers, seven were female, and two were men.

Officials during the news conference stated that weather, not resources, is posing an issue in finding the remaining skier. They also said Blackbird Mountain Guides is cooperating with the search.

“The leadership team at Blackbird Mountain Guides is working in full coordination with the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office and Nevada County Search and Rescue to support the ongoing rescue operation,” the company said Tuesday. “Blackbird Mountain Guides is in direct contact with the emergency contacts of the affected clients and guides and is providing them with regular updates as verified information becomes available.”

The Associated Press reported it was the country’s deadliest avalanche in four decades. In 1981, 11 climbers were killed on Mount Rainier in Washington. This is also the deadliest avalanche in California recorded history. In March 1911, an avalanche in Mono County near Conway Summit wiped out the entire town of Jordan, killing eight people. More recently, seven people were killed in 1982 at Alpine Meadows.

“Our hearts are with the victims and their families of this horrific tragedy,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said on social platform X. “Local and state officials quickly mobilized a robust search-and-rescue mission, with nearly 100 first responders working in daunting conditions throughout the night, to search for these missing backcountry skiers. We mourn this profound loss.”

Ski expert Brian Hickey weighs in on challenging terrain

KCRA 3’s Brian Hickey said he’s done a lot of backcountry skiing on Castle Peak but has not been to Frog Lake. But he said there is steep terrain in the area that is prone to avalanches. On Wednesday, he talked about the conditions rescue crews had to face.

Nevada County sheriff’s deputies and a search and rescue team, along with the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Washoe County Search and Rescue, and Truckee Fire were involved in the search effort.

Nearly 100 first responders were involved in the search effort, Newsom said on X.

Capt. Russell Green with the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said first responders were notified by the ski tour company after the avalanche.

“People go out and use the backcountry at all times,” he said. “We advise against it honestly, but I wouldn’t say that it’s uncommon, not that it was a wise choice.”

Avalanche warning issued hours prior

Earlier in the day, the Sierra Avalanche Center issued an avalanche warning for parts of the area, which includes Castle Peak. The warning is in effect through 5 a.m. Thursday.

The avalanche happened as a snowstorm continued to dump piles of snow in the area, leading to the shutdown of highways and multiple spinouts and crashes. Meteorologist Dirk Verdoorn said that Soda Springs, near Castle Peak, had recorded up to 40 inches of snow so far since Monday.

See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at kcra.com/upload.

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel