CA - 8 dead, 1 still missing of skiers hit by avalanche near Lake Tahoe, Truckee, 17 Feb 2026

[ivylambs]

At least 10 backcountry skiers were missing late Tuesday afternoon after an avalanche near Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada, the authorities said.

The missing skiers were among four instructors and 12 clients who were caught in the storm around 11:30 a.m. local time, according to the sheriff’s office in Nevada County, Calif. At least six of them survived, and as of about 4 p.m. they were at the site waiting to be rescued by teams from nearby ski resorts, the sheriff’s office said.
Avalanche warnings were in effect for a vast stretch of the mountain ranges, and more snow was expected that could hamper rescue efforts.

“Weather conditions remain highly dangerous,” the sheriff’s office said, with large avalanches expected across backcountry terrain into at least Wednesday morning.

10 Skiers Missing in Avalanche as Storms Slam California

Search efforts were underway on Tuesday afternoon after heavy snow caused an avalanche in the Sierra Nevada, the authorities said.

www.nytimes.com

10 skiers missing, 6 stranded after avalanche in California

The avalanche happened near the town of Truckee. Ten of the skiers were unaccounted for, while rescue crews were headed toward the six others, authorities said.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[sds71]

Rescue Teams are RACING agains the clock before the next storm that will drop another NEW 20 inches or more snow is expected later today through Friday. Epic snow is common in this part of the world. This is storm is not unusual, just rare this winter which has been relatively mild.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2024148969018826866

 

[mickey2942]

They KNEW a storm was coming. Was it that the guides would have been out of the pay for those days?!

Anyone with sense knows you can't ski in the backcountry with a storm coming.

 

[ivylambs]

They KNEW a storm was coming. Was it that the guides would have been out of the pay for those days?!

Anyone with sense knows you can't ski in the backcountry with a storm coming.

I can sense the lawsuits coming already.

 

[sds71]

Eight of the nine skiers missing since an avalanche on Tuesday near Lake Tahoe have been found dead, Nevada County (Calif.) officials said in news conference on Wednesday, making the incident one of the deadliest avalanches in the United States in decades.

They had been part of a group of 15, including four guides, on a three-day skiing expedition in a popular but rugged recreational area near Castle Peak. Six others from their group were able to use emergency equipment to contact rescuers and survived.

Two of the six were taken to a hospital for treatment after being evacuated. The high death toll raised questions about why the group had left after forecasters issued warnings about snow storms and winds in the northern Sierra Nevada.

Sheriff Moon said that the biggest challenge facing searchers is the weather and snow, not resources. “Due to the ongoing challenges of the weather, the avalanche conditions, the effort remains ongoing, as well as our search for the remaining skier.”

A backcountry avalanche warning had been issued for a broad stretch of the Sierra Nevada early Tuesday because of a combination of rapid snowfall and strong winds. Nearly three feet of snow had accumulated at Donner Peak, near Castle Peak, in the prior 48 hours.

Lake Tahoe Avalanche Live Updates: Rescuers Search for 9 Missing Skiers

The avalanche struck a guided skiing group in a popular California backcountry destination, officials said. Six skiers have been rescued.

www.nytimes.com

 

[FoxxTraxx]

Eight backcountry skiers perish in California avalanche, ninth presumed dead​

The ninth skier is now presumed to be dead. What a horrible tragedy.

Bodies of eight skiers were located but will be recovered at a later date when weather permits, while a ninth skier from the group remained missing and was presumed dead, authorities said.

Source-Reuters News-California Skiers Die in Avalanche

 

[mickey2942]

I can sense the lawsuits coming already.

I just don't understand it. Most skiers know what avalanches are. New snow on crusty snow, is unstable. The new snow hasn't had time to compact or integrate with the older layer.

And even 50 years ago, we used PIEPs. I am sure that with cellphone technology there is much better technology now.

AVALANCHE BEACONS – PIEPS GmbH

www.pieps.com

Avalanche Safety: What to Know Before You Go - MSU Extension | Montana State University

Article about avalanche safety from Lives and Landscapes Magazine, winter issue 2024

www.montana.edu

 

[vlbay]

It was a moms' trip. Awful awful awful.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/tahoe-avalanche-skiers-dead-21360546.php

"Most of the guests being guided through difficult terrain in a winter storm were women and mothers of children on the ski team at nearby Sugar Bowl Resort, a person familiar with Tuesday’s tragedy told the Chronicle.

"The person, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said the trip was part of what had historically been an annual excursion of families in which the husbands would go off skiing together and then the wives would take their turn. The trips were not affiliated with Sugar Bowl and were organized by the close-knit parents."

 

[sds71]

The six survivors of Tuesday’s avalanche near Lake Tahoe communicated with emergency responders using the Emergency SOS feature on the iPhone and an emergency beacon, said Don O’Keefe, the law enforcement chief for California’s Office of Emergency Services.

The Emergency SOS feature on Apple’s iPhones allows users to text emergency services, even when they don’t have cellular service or Wi-Fi, by connecting the phone to a satellite.

In this case, the feature allowed the group to stay in touch with the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, which was coordinating the rescue efforts.

Satellite Feature on iPhone Allowed Skiers to Seek Help After Avalanche

The Emergency SOS feature on iPhones can send texts to emergency responders via satellite when there is no cell tower nearby.

www.nytimes.com