Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Low visibility makes the search and rescue mission difficult.
A powerful winter storm has turned a Sierra Nevada ski tour into a desperate rescue mission.
Authorities in northern California are searching for nine people feared trapped after an avalanche tore through a backcountry area Tuesday, as severe weather hampers efforts to reach the site, multiple news outlets including Reuters and CBS News reports.
Emergency crews were mobilized after the slide struck a guided ski group in remote terrain.
Officials warned that if all nine missing individuals are confirmed dead, the tragedy could rank among the deadliest single avalanche events ever recorded in the United States.
Search in perilous terrain
Rescue teams from Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Center were sent toward the slide zone. By late afternoon, responders were still navigating hazardous conditions, with some traveling in Snowcat tracked vehicles to access the remote area.
Sheriff’s officials said survivors had managed to make contact using radio beacons and text messages. They assembled a temporary shelter with tarpaulins and were “doing everything they can to survive.”
Sheriff Greene questioned the decision to proceed with a guided outing under such circumstances, saying, “I don’t think it was a wise choice,” while adding, “but we don’t know all the details yet.” He declined to name the company involved and did not specify how many guides or clients were among the missing.
Weather instability was expected to persist into Wednesday, raising concerns about additional slides. Governor Gavin Newsom was briefed on the incident, and his office said state authorities were coordinating an “all-hands search-and-rescue effort” alongside local teams.
Warnings before storm
Hours before the avalanche, the Sierra Avalanche Center issued a bulletin flagging a “high avalanche danger” across the region, according to a statement from the local sheriff’s office.
At the same time, the National Weather Service had placed much of northern California under a winter storm warning, forecasting intense snowfall in higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada.
Nationwide, avalanches kill an average of 27 people each winter in the U.S., based on data from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. The center has documented six avalanche deaths so far this season.
Sources: Colorado Avalanche Information Center; Sierra Avalanche Center; Office of Governor Gavin Newsom.
