Eight backcountry skiers have been confirmed dead, and one remains missing after a powerful avalanche swept through a guided expedition near Lake Tahoe in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, authorities said Wednesday.
Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said search operations have now shifted from rescue to recovery, with families of the victims informed. The avalanche struck Tuesday morning in the Castle Peak area near Donner Summit, amid severe winter weather that had blanketed the region in heavy snow and high winds.
According to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, emergency crews received a distress call around 11:30 am reporting multiple skiers buried under snow.
Nearly 50 rescuers were deployed, battling low visibility, gale-force winds and continuing avalanche danger.
Six members of the group were located alive after hours of searching in extreme conditions. Two were taken to the hospital with injuries — one was discharged Tuesday night, while the other was expected to be released on Wednesday, officials said.
The skiers were on the final leg of a three-day guided backcountry trip when the avalanche, described as a massive slide of snow, ice and debris stretching roughly the length of a football field, tore across the slope near Castle Peak, a popular but avalanche-prone destination close to Donner Summit.
The expedition was being led by Blackbird Mountain Guides, which said it was cooperating fully with local authorities. The company had earlier warned of unstable snow conditions amid a powerful winter storm sweeping across the Sierra Nevada.
Avalanche experts said a persistent weak layer in the snowpack was overloaded by fresh snowfall, triggering the deadly slide. The area was under a 4 out of 5 avalanche threat rating at the time, with forecasters warning that both natural and human-triggered avalanches were very likely.
The broader Lake Tahoe region has been reeling under heavy snowfall that forced road closures, disrupted travel along Interstate 80 and heightened avalanche risk across backcountry terrain. Officials stressed that unlike ski resorts — which use controlled blasts to manage snow buildup, remote areas carry significantly higher and unpredictable risks.
Castle Peak, near Donner Summit, has witnessed deadly avalanches in the past.
Data from avalanche authorities show that backcountry travellers account for the majority of avalanche-related fatalities in the United States each year, with about 25 to 30 deaths recorded annually.
The scale of the tragedy, involving a large, organised and professionally guided group, has sent shockwaves through the tight-knit backcountry skiing community, underscoring the dangers posed by extreme weather and unstable snow conditions even to experienced adventurers.
