Search Continues for 10 Skiers Missing in Tahoe Avalanche
Search and rescue operations are underway near Lake Tahoe after an avalanche trapped a group of 16 backcountry skiers. While six skiers are confirmed alive, 10 remain missing. Authorities are continuing search efforts while assessing the dangerous conditions in the area.
- The avalanche occurred around 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday near Castle Peak, a popular backcountry skiing destination northwest of Lake Tahoe. The group of 16, consisting of 12 clients and four guides from Blackbird Mountain Guides, was on the final day of a three-day trip, having spent two nights at the remote Frog Lake Backcountry Huts. - The Sierra Avalanche Center had issued a "high" avalanche danger warning for the greater Lake Tahoe area for Tuesday, advising against travel in or near avalanche terrain. The area had received two to three feet of new snow in the preceding 48 hours, with snowfall rates reaching two to four inches per hour, creating unstable "storm slab" conditions on top of a weak snowpack layer from a dry January. - The six skiers who survived were instructed to shelter in place and were later rescued by a team of 46 responders from various local agencies, including ski teams from Boreal Mountain Resort and Tahoe Donner. Two of the rescued skiers were hospitalized for their injuries. - Rescue efforts for the remaining nine skiers are hampered by extreme weather, including blizzard conditions, high winds, and continued heavy snowfall, which has been described as the "worst Sierra conditions in 3 years". These conditions have so far prevented the use of helicopters for search operations. - The skiers were reportedly carrying emergency beacons. While these devices can aid rescuers, the severe weather is impacting the ability to deploy resources like the California Highway Patrol's helicopter-mounted RECCO system, which can detect such beacons. - This incident follows other recent avalanches in the Tahoe area, including a fatal one at Palisades Tahoe in January 2024 and another that killed a snowmobiler near Castle Peak in January 2026. Historically, the region has experienced devastating avalanches, such as the 1982 event at Alpine Meadows that killed seven people. - The UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab has recorded 5-8 feet of total snowfall from the current storm system, which also forced the temporary closure of major ski resorts and a 60-mile stretch of Interstate 80. - The avalanche was rated as D2.5, which signifies a large to very large slide capable of destroying a car, breaking trees, or destroying a small wood-frame building.
