Rescuers launched a frantic search for 10 missing backcountry skiers after an avalanche swept a guided group on California’s Castle Peak in the Tahoe area, as a powerful Sierra Nevada storm continued dumping heavy snow and driving winds.
Authorities said 16 people — four guides and 12 clients — were caught up in the slide late yesterday morning. Six have been accounted for, and mountain rescue teams were attempting to reach them while also combing the area for the others amid whiteout conditions and fresh snowfall.
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“Highly skilled rescue ski teams have departed from both Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Centre to make their way to the six known survivors, who have been directed to shelter in place as best they can in the conditions,” the Nevada County Sheriff’s Department said.
The avalanche struck as a massive winter storm continued to pummel California’s Sierra Nevada, with forecasters warning that blizzard-like visibility and severe gusts would complicate any search-and-rescue effort. Authorities described treacherous travel and rapidly shifting snowpack that increased the risk of additional slides.
Experts had warned of dangerous avalanche conditions, with the risk expected to extend into today as the storm persists. The National Weather Service said parts of the Sierra above 1,000 metres could see up to 2.4 metres of snow over the next 48 hours, with winds gusting to 90 kilometres an hour and periods of near-zero visibility.
Castle Peak sits in the high country north of Donner Summit, a zone prized for its steep terrain and deep winter snow but prone to volatile conditions when storms stack up quickly. With heavy snow still falling, search teams faced poor visibility, deep drifts and unstable slopes — factors that can delay access and limit how many rescuers can safely move through the area at once.
Officials did not immediately release details about the condition of the six accounted-for individuals. The directive for them to shelter in place underscored how hazardous the approach had become, even for specialized crews accustomed to avalanche terrain.
As the storm intensified, forecasters reiterated that fresh accumulations, wind loading and variable temperatures could keep slopes unstable through at least the next day. Whiteout conditions were expected to develop intermittently across the range, reducing situational awareness for teams navigating to and from the slide path.
Authorities urged caution in the backcountry as the rescue continued, noting that even experienced skiers and guides can be exposed when conditions align for large, destructive avalanches. The ongoing operation near Tahoe highlighted the challenges responders face when severe weather, daylight and terrain all work against rapid access.
Additional details, including the precise trigger of the slide and the identities of those involved, were not immediately available. Officials said updates would follow as crews make contact with the survivors and expand the search for the missing.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
