An avalanche tore through a group of 15 backcountry skiers near Lake Tahoe Tuesday, leaving nine missing as a powerful winter storm pounded California’s Sierra Nevada.
Six survivors were pulled from the Castle Peak area after rescue crews battled extreme weather for several hours, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) said in a statement. Two were transported to a hospital for treatment. The sheriff’s office initially reported 16 people in the group but later revised the count to 15.
Emergency beacons helped responders locate the survivors amid whiteout conditions, Fox News reported, citing authorities.
Before rescuers arrived, the six hunkered down in a wooded area and rigged a tarp for protection, NBC News reported. They maintained contact with authorities through a satellite messaging device. Capt. Russell Greene of the sheriff’s office warned that the threat of additional slides forced teams to move carefully. (RELATED: ‘Very Significant And Dangerous’ Severe Storm To Potentially Spark Up Tornadoes, Flash Flooding In Southern California)
“It’s in a tough area. It’s just going to be slow going so we don’t trigger any other avalanches, because that is definitely a possibility,” Greene stated, according to NBC News.
I took this video on Castle Peak Road around 11:30 a.m. this morning, when the avalanche that struck 16 backcountry skiers occurred roughly 2 miles away at Frog Lake.
Winter storm conditions were extreme. pic.twitter.com/OoIQQ8eAVx
— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) February 18, 2026
The skiers arrived at the Frog Lake backcountry huts Sunday and were heading back to the trailhead when the slide struck, ABC News reported. Blackbird Mountain Guides organized the three-day expedition. Brandon Schwartz, director of the Sierra Avalanche Center, told the outlet that 2 to 3 feet of snow had piled up in 36 hours, falling at 2 to 4 inches per hour.
The Sierra Avalanche Center issued a high-danger warning at 5 a.m. Tuesday, hours before the slide. The center warned that natural avalanches were likely and human-triggered slides capable of burying people were “very likely,” according to ABC News.
Avalanches kill between 25 and 30 people each year in the United States, Gripped Magazine reported. Six deaths had already been recorded for the 2025 to 2026 winter season as of early January, the outlet reported, citing the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
A news conference is expected Wednesday morning, Fox News reported. The search for the missing nine continues as weather permits.