Key Points
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Avalanche near Castle Peak leaves 10 skiers missing and six trapped alive.
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Rescue teams battling blizzard conditions and high avalanche risk.
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Emergency beacons helping rescuers maintain communication with survivors.
Castle Peak, California: Rescue crews moved cautiously across snow-covered slopes Tuesday after a powerful avalanche buried a group of backcountry skiers in the rugged Sierra Nevada mountains, leaving 10 people missing and six survivors trapped but alive.
Authorities said the avalanche struck near Frog Lake in the Castle Peak area northwest of Lake Tahoe around late morning, prompting an immediate emergency response after a distress call alerted officials to multiple people buried under snow. The group of 16 skiers, including guides and clients, was nearing the end of a three-day backcountry trip when the slide occurred.
Nevada County Sheriff’s officials confirmed that the six survivors have established makeshift shelter and remain in communication with rescuers through emergency locator beacons. “They are doing the best they can and waiting for rescue,” a sheriff’s spokesperson said, noting that crews are advancing slowly due to unstable snowpack and the continued threat of additional avalanches.
Snowcats, snowmobiles, and ski-based rescue teams have been deployed, but blizzard conditions, heavy snowfall, and strong winds are slowing progress. Forecasters warn that rapidly accumulating snow layered over fragile terrain has significantly increased avalanche risk across the Central Sierra Nevada region, prompting warnings that large slides could continue through the storm.
Local avalanche experts say backcountry travel has become particularly dangerous this week, with the Sierra Avalanche Center issuing alerts for the broader Lake Tahoe region. Several ski resorts nearby have partially or fully closed operations due to the severe weather, while highways and mountain passes experienced traffic shutdowns caused by crashes and heavy snowfall.
Castle Peak, a popular off-piste skiing destination rising more than 9,000 feet above sea level, has a long history of winter hazards. Authorities said rescue operations will continue around the clock as crews attempt to reach the stranded survivors and search for those still missing.
