One fatality reported in Wednesday morning incident
OLYMPIC VALLEY- Palisades Tahoe has closed due to an avalanche and emergency operations in search of victims Wednesday.
The avalanche was reported specifically above the GS gully area of the KT-22 run around 9:30 a.m. Palisades Tahoe took to social media to convey the closure, stating, “Our Patrol and mountain operations teams are performing a search at this time. Both sides of our mountain will be closed for the day.”
As of 10:45 a.m., the resort expanded the closure to include nearby Alpine Meadows resorts, citing safety concerns. The incident came amidst a Winter Storm Warning issued by the National Weather Service for the greater Lake Tahoe area. Forecasting 12-18 inches of snow for Lake Tahoe communities and 18-24 inches above 7,000 feet west of Highway 89, the warning is set to remain in effect through early Thursday.
As of 1:20 p.m., the several media outlets had reported that all missing skiers had reportedly been accounted for and that there was one fatality in the incident. There are no further reports on injuries or conditions of others that have been rescued at this time.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced around noon that the state is closely monitoring the situation and is prepared to assist with the avalanche response at Palisades Tahoe. Cal Fire has mobilized resources and personnel to contribute to ongoing rescue efforts.
This is a developing story we will continue to monitor and update as information is made available.