At least ten backcountry skiers were missing late Tuesday after an avalanche swept through northern California near the town of Truckee at Castle Peak, as powerful winter storms slammed the Sierra Nevada and created what officials described as extremely dangerous conditions for search and rescue crews.
The avalanche was reported at approximately 11:30 a.m. local time and affected a group of 16 people, four mountain guides and 12 clients, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office. Officials said at least six skiers survived the slide and were still at the site as of late Tuesday afternoon, awaiting rescue because weather conditions made immediate evacuation unsafe.
Search and rescue ski teams from Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Alder Creek Adventure Center were deployed to assist, the sheriff’s office said. Authorities emphasized that rescue efforts were being carried out cautiously due to ongoing avalanche danger, heavy snowfall, and near-zero visibility.
Castle Peak, a popular backcountry skiing destination along Interstate 80 near Lake Tahoe, received intense snowfall as a conveyor belt of winter storms moved through northern California. Boreal Mountain Ski Resort reported roughly 30 inches of snow in the previous 24 hours, while forecasts say additional heavy snowfall is expected through Thursday.
Avalanche danger across the region was rated high on Tuesday. In a bulletin issued before the reported avalanche, the Sierra Avalanche Center warned against travel in or near avalanche terrain, citing the likelihood of a widespread natural avalanche cycle.
“Large avalanches may run through treed areas,” the center said, urging anyone attempting travel in non-avalanche terrain to ensure no steep slopes were connected above or adjacent to their route.
The avalanche occurred as the Sierra Nevada experienced what scientists described as some of the worst winter conditions in years. According to researchers at the Central Sierra Snow Lab at the University of California, Berkeley, snowfall totals had already exceeded 28 inches in parts of the central Sierra by Tuesday morning, with another two to three feet expected by Wednesday night.
High winds compounded the danger, with gusts exceeding 100 miles per hour along ridge tops and up to 45 miles per hour in mountain valleys, forecasters said. Combined with heavy snowfall, the conditions created near-whiteout conditions across much of the region.
Transportation was also heavily impacted. Portions of major highways were closed, and ski resorts across the Sierra shuttered operations, citing unsafe travel conditions. The California Highway Patrol warned motorists that visibility along mountain roads had dropped to near zero in some areas. “This isn’t inconvenient weather. This is unsafe travel,” they said in a statement on X, warning that large avalanches were expected across backcountry terrain into at least Wednesday morning.
Winter storm warnings remained in effect from southwest Oregon through much of Northern and Central California, with forecasters cautioning that travel could be dangerous to near impossible through late Thursday.
Officials said search operations would continue as conditions allow and urged the public to avoid backcountry travel until the storm system passes and avalanche risk subsides.
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