Emergency crews are actively searching for several backcountry skiers who went missing after an avalanche struck Northern California's Castle Peak area Tuesday morning. The incident occurred during a severe winter storm that has brought dangerous conditions and heavy snowfall to the Sierra Nevada region.
Emergency responders launched an intensive search operation Tuesday for several backcountry skiers who disappeared following an avalanche in Northern California’s mountainous terrain, as a severe winter storm continues battering the region.
Nevada County Sheriff’s Office received an emergency call around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday reporting the avalanche with individuals trapped beneath the snow, according to department spokesperson Ashley Quadros.
Multiple agencies including the sheriff’s department, their Search & Rescue unit, and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection teams mobilized to Castle Peak, located northwest of Lake Tahoe, Quadros reported.
“It has been reported that a group of back country skiers was involved in the incident, with several members of the party missing at this time,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a Facebook post.
A fierce winter storm has been pummeling California throughout the week, delivering dangerous thunderstorms, powerful winds, and substantial mountain snowfall.
The Sierra Avalanche Center in Truckee warned that the Central Sierra Nevada region, encompassing the greater Lake Tahoe area, faced elevated avalanche risks in backcountry areas, with major slides anticipated through Wednesday.
Multiple Lake Tahoe area ski facilities shut down completely or partially due to hazardous weather conditions.
The threatening situation resulted from quickly accumulating snow, deteriorating snowpack stability, and hurricane-force winds. Areas with established avalanche control programs, including managed ski slopes and highways, faced reduced risk levels, the center noted.
The 9,110-foot Castle Peak sits in the Donner Summit region of the Sierra Nevada and attracts many backcountry skiing enthusiasts. Nearby Soda Springs recorded at least 30 inches of fresh snowfall within the past day, according to Soda Springs Mountain Resort data.
Weather experts predict the Sierra Nevada’s western slopes in northern Shasta County, including sections of Interstate 5, plus portions of the Pacific Coast Range could accumulate up to 8 feet of snow before the storm system passes late Wednesday.
Transportation chaos spread across roadways from Sonoma County through the Sierra Nevada. California Department of Transportation temporarily stopped all Interstate 80 traffic near the Nevada border due to vehicle spinouts and collisions.
Authorities reported that an avalanche claimed a snowmobiler’s life in the same region this past January. The National Avalanche Center reports that avalanches typically kill 25 to 30 people annually across the United States.