Ten backcountry skiers are lacking following an avalanche in northern California on Tuesday, with a search and rescue operation underway amid “extremely harmful” circumstances, authorities stated.
The avalanche was reported noon Tuesday within the Fort Peak space within the Sierra Nevada, based on the Nevada County Sheriff’s Workplace.
A gaggle of 16 skiers — together with 4 ski guides and 12 shoppers — encountered the avalanche, based on the sheriff’s workplace. Six folks survived and are awaiting rescue on the avalanche website, whereas 10 stay unaccounted for, the sheriff’s workplace stated.
Rescuers are going through very tough circumstances, together with avalanche hazard themselves, based on Brandon Schwartz, director of the Sierra Avalanche Heart, which forecasts avalanche circumstances within the space round Lake Tahoe. The realm noticed 2 to three ft of recent snow within the final 36 hours and extra was nonetheless falling at 2 to 4 inches per hour, Schwartz advised ABC Information.
The Sierra Avalanche Heart stated there was “excessive” avalanche hazard within the backcountry on Tuesday.
“Quickly accumulating snowfall, weak layers within the present snowpack, and gale-force winds that blow and drift snow have created harmful avalanche circumstances within the mountains,” the middle stated. “Pure avalanches are doubtless, and human-triggered avalanches massive sufficient to bury or injure persons are very doubtless.”
Snow falls, Feb. 17, 2026 in Truckee Calif.
Brooke Hess-Homeier/AP
The Sierra Avalanche Heart has issued an avalanche warning for the Central Sierra Nevada Mountains between Yuba Go on the north and Ebbetts Go on the south, together with the better Lake Tahoe space, by means of Wednesday morning.
“Massive avalanches are anticipated to happen Tuesday, Tuesday evening, and into not less than early Wednesday morning throughout backcountry terrain,” the middle said, advising towards journey in, close to or under backcountry avalanche terrain. “HIGH avalanche hazard would possibly proceed by means of the day on Wednesday.”
Whiteout circumstances have been reported within the area the place the avalanche occurred.
The California Freeway Patrol’s Truckee workplace warned that prime winds are “creating full whiteout circumstances” throughout the Donner Summit.
Interstate 80 over Donner Summit was closed in each instructions on Tuesday as a result of whiteout circumstances and poor visibility.
