Avalanche traps skiers in California mountains as rescuers battle blizzard conditions

Rescue teams using skis and snowcats battled severe blizzard conditions Tuesday as they worked to reach six backcountry skiers trapped but still alive following a powerful avalanche in Northern California’s rugged mountains. Ten other skiers remain missing as authorities warn that the risk of additional avalanches remains high.

Emergency crews were dispatched to the Frog Lake area near Castle Peak, northwest of Lake Tahoe, after a 911 call at around 11:30 a.m. reported multiple people buried by an avalanche during a major winter storm sweeping across the state.

Ashley Quadros, spokesperson for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, said six skiers were located hours later and advised to shelter in place until rescuers could safely reach them, according to world news reports.

The group was on the final day of a three-day backcountry skiing expedition involving overnight stays in remote mountain huts, according to Steve Reynaud, an avalanche forecaster with the Sierra Avalanche Center. The trip required navigating rugged terrain for several miles while carrying food and survival supplies.

Authorities were alerted both by the guiding company that organized the trip and by emergency locator beacons carried by the skiers, which allowed communication with rescue officials.

Nevada County Sheriff’s Capt. Russell Greene said the stranded group has built a makeshift shelter using a tarp and is maintaining contact through text messages sent via their emergency devices.

Rescue operations are progressing cautiously due to unstable snow conditions and the continued threat of further slides. Teams equipped with snowcats, snowmobiles and ski patrol units are attempting to reach the group, though officials described the mission as slow and highly dangerous.

The guiding company, Blackbird Mountain Guides, confirmed it is coordinating closely with authorities. The expedition included 12 clients and four professional guides.

The avalanche occurred as a powerful winter storm brought heavy snowfall, strong winds and thunderstorms across California’s mountain regions.

The Sierra Avalanche Center issued an avalanche warning for the Central Sierra Nevada and the greater Lake Tahoe region, warning that large slides were likely through Wednesday.

Forecasters said rapidly accumulating snow layered over fragile snowpack, combined with gale-force winds, created extremely unstable conditions. Several ski resorts around Lake Tahoe closed fully or partially due to the severe weather, while experts warned that backcountry areas — lacking avalanche control measures used at resorts — posed the greatest danger.

Avalanches claim an average of 25 to 30 lives annually in the United States, according to the National Avalanche Center.