TRUCKEE — Eight backcountry skiers have been confirmed dead and one remains missing and is presumed dead, following a devastating avalanche in the Castle Peak area near Lake Tahoe, authorities said Wednesday, as search and rescue crews continue working in hazardous winter conditions in what now has become a recovering operation.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said dispatchers received a report of an avalanche at approximately 11:30 a.m. Tuesday involving a guided backcountry ski group in the Castle Peak area. Initial information indicated 16 people were on the trip, but officials later clarified that 15 individuals — four ski guides and 11 clients — had actually departed on the three-day excursion.
The group was touring with Blackbird Mountain Guides and had been staying at the Frog Lake huts since Sunday. According to the company, the skiers were in the process of returning to the trailhead at the conclusion of their trip when the avalanche occurred.
Early press releases from the sheriff’s office stated that at least six skiers had survived the slide but remained stranded at the avalanche site awaiting rescue, with 9 still unaccounted for at the time. Highly trained rescue ski teams departed from Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Center, and a SnoCat team was launched from Alder Creek to assist.
By late Tuesday evening, authorities confirmed that the six initially reported survivors had been successfully rescued. Due to extreme weather conditions, it took several hours for rescue personnel to safely reach the skiers and transport them to safety, where they were medically evaluated by Truckee Fire. Two of the six were transported to a hospital for treatment of varying injuries.
On Wednesday morning, authorities confirmed that eight of the skiers who had been the focus of the frantic 24-hour search had died. One skier remains missing as of the latest update.
A total of 46 emergency first responders are involved in the effort, including teams from the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office and its Search and Rescue unit, Placer County Sheriff’s Office, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Washoe County Search and Rescue, and Truckee Fire. The sheriff’s office described the incident as active and ongoing.
The deadly slide occurred amid a powerful winter storm that has blanketed the Sierra Nevada with heavy snowfall and created extremely unstable backcountry conditions. The Sierra Avalanche Center had issued an avalanche warning at 5 a.m. Tuesday, hours before the incident, warning of “HIGH avalanche danger” across backcountry terrain. The advisory stated that large avalanches were expected to occur Tuesday, Tuesday night and into at least early Wednesday morning, with the potential for dangerous conditions to continue through Wednesday.
The deaths of the 8 missing skiers make this incident the deadliest avalanche in state history.
“Our hearts are with the victims and their families of this horrific tragedy, ” Gov. Gavin Newsom released in a statement Wednesday. “Local and state officials quickly mobilized a robust search-and-rescue mission, with nearly 100 first responders working in daunting conditions throughout the night, to search for these missing backcountry skiers. We mourn this profound loss.”
Highways reopen Wednesday morning during break in storms
After being completely closed overnight, Highway 50 and Interstate 80 have partially reopened Wednesday following a break in the latest round of Sierra storms, but significant restrictions remain in place and travel is still hazardous in mountain areas.
On Highway 50, chain controls are in effect from Point View Drive in Placerville to Meyers in El Dorado County. Chains are required on all vehicles except four-wheel-drive vehicles equipped with snow tires on all four wheels. Motorists should be prepared for winter driving conditions, including snow-covered roadways and reduced visibility at higher elevations.
On Interstate 80, major restrictions continue due to snow and traction concerns. Eastbound traffic is closed to all tractor-semitrailer combinations at Applegate in Placer County. In addition, eastbound I-80 remains closed to all traffic from Colfax to the Nevada state line because of heavy snow. Motorists are being advised to use alternate routes.
Westbound on Interstate 80, tractor-semitrailer combinations are prohibited from traveling past the Nevada state line due to traction concerns. For all other westbound traffic, chain controls are in effect from the Nevada state line to Colfax. Chains are required on all vehicles except four-wheel-drive vehicles with snow tires on all four wheels.
Although conditions have improved enough to reopen portions of these major corridors, drivers are urged to delay travel if possible and check the latest Caltrans updates before heading into the Sierra, as additional weather systems are expected later this week.
Copyright © 2026, Folsom Times, a digital product of All Town Media LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
