Search and Rescue Teams Hunt for Missing Skiers After Avalanche in California
Search and rescue crews are urgently looking for multiple backcountry skiers who are feared missing after an avalanche was reported in Northern California on Tuesday. The incident occurred as a powerful winter storm swept through the state, bringing treacherous conditions to mountain areas.
Emergency Response and Incident Details
The Nevada County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call at approximately 11:30 a.m. reporting an avalanche with people buried, according to department spokesperson Ashley Quadros. In response, the sheriff's office, its Search & Rescue team, and a crew from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection deployed to the Castle Peak area, located northwest of Lake Tahoe.
"It has been reported that a group of back country skiers was involved in the incident, with several members of the party missing at this time," the sheriff's office stated in a Facebook post. Castle Peak, a 9,110-foot peak in the Donner Summit area of the Sierra Nevada, is a popular destination for backcountry skiing enthusiasts.
Severe Weather and Avalanche Danger
California is being walloped by a potent winter storm this week, featuring thunderstorms, high winds, and heavy snowfall in mountainous regions. The Sierra Avalanche Center, based in Truckee, warned of high avalanche danger in the backcountry of the Central Sierra Nevada, including the Greater Lake Tahoe region, with large slides expected on Tuesday and into Wednesday.
The dangerous conditions are attributed to rapidly accumulating snowfall, weakening snowpack layers, and gale-force winds. While ski areas or highways with avalanche mitigation programs are at lower risk, backcountry zones remain highly hazardous. In the nearby town of Soda Springs, at least 30 inches of snow had fallen in the last 24 hours, according to Soda Springs Mountain Resort.
Impact on Transportation and Previous Incidents
The storm has caused significant disruption across roadways from Sonoma County to the Sierra Nevada. Traffic was temporarily halted in both directions on Interstate 80 near the Nevada state line due to spinouts and crashes, as reported by the California Department of Transportation. Forecasters predict that the western slope of the Sierra Nevada in northern Shasta County, including parts of Interstate 5, and sections of the Pacific Coast Range could see up to 8 feet of snow before the storm subsides late Wednesday.
Several ski resorts around Lake Tahoe were fully or partially closed due to the extreme weather. This incident follows a tragic avalanche in January in the same region, which buried and killed a snowmobiler. According to the National Avalanche Center, avalanches claim 25 to 30 lives annually in the United States each winter.
