An avalanche struck California’s Sierra Nevada mountains on Tuesday, leaving nine skiers missing while six others were rescued, authorities reported.
The incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time in the Castle Peak area near Truckee, roughly 10 miles north of Lake Tahoe, engulfing a group of skiers, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.
Those rescued sustained varying injuries, with two requiring hospital treatment. The sheriff’s office later updated the group size to 15, down from an earlier estimate of 16, and said no further updates were expected Tuesday evening.
Authorities warned that if the missing nine are not found, this could become one of the deadliest single avalanches in U.S. history. So far this season, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center has recorded six avalanche fatalities in the U.S., while avalanches have averaged 27 deaths each winter over the past decade.
A winter storm warning was in effect for much of northern California, with heavy snowfall forecasted in the Sierra Nevada’s higher elevations. The Sierra Avalanche Center had issued a “high avalanche danger” alert early Tuesday.
Nevada County Sheriff’s spokesperson Greene criticized the decision of a ski tour company to take clients into the backcountry under such hazardous conditions, though he did not disclose the company’s name or specifics of its involvement.
Rescue teams from Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Center reached the site, where survivors had taken shelter in a makeshift structure made partly of tarpaulins. They communicated with rescuers using radio beacons and text messages.
Weather in the Sierra backcountry remained dangerous, with additional avalanche activity expected through Tuesday night into Wednesday.
California Governor Gavin Newsom was briefed on the situation, and state authorities are coordinating a full search-and-rescue operation alongside local emergency teams.