Thursday 19 / February / 2026
California: Eight skiers have been found dead after an avalanche in the mountains near Lake Tahoe in California, the authorities said.
Another person is still missing, with the operations moving from rescue to recovery, Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said during a news conference.
"We are still looking for one of the members at this time," Moon told the local press.
The group of 15 was on a three-day trek in the Sierra Nevada when a winter storm hit. Six other travelers from the same group were rescued on Tuesday. According to Moon, the six used their equipment to shelter from the storm and did all they could to stay warm.
Describing the conditions in the area, Moon said labeling them as "extreme" would be "an understatement" due to the snow and winds that "make it impossible to see."
Authorities said Wednesday that the risk of avalanche remains high and advised against travel in the area, with snowfall and gale force winders leaving snow unstable and unpredictable. More snow is also expected to fall in the area.
This was the deadliest avalanche in the US since 1981, when eleven climbers were killed on Mount Rainier, located in the state of Washington.
According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Centre, six people lost their lives in avalanches in the US this season, with one of them being in Castle Peak in January.
