Rescuers pushed through blizzard conditions to reach survivors near Donner Summit.
NEVADA CITY, CA — Crews recovered the bodies of eight backcountry skiers and continued searching Wednesday for a ninth person still missing after an avalanche swept over a guided group near Castle Peak, north of Lake Tahoe, as a powerful winter storm battered the Sierra Nevada.
The slide, reported late Tuesday morning, turned a rescue mission into a recovery effort as officials warned that steep terrain, heavy snowfall and continued avalanche danger were slowing efforts to reach and remove victims. Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said families were told that the operation had shifted from trying to find people alive to bringing the dead home. The avalanche, described by officials as one of the deadliest in the United States in decades, triggered scrutiny of why the group was on the slope during a period of high avalanche danger.
The avalanche hit about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in the Castle Peak area of Tahoe National Forest, near Donner Summit and north of Interstate 80, according to Nevada County officials. The skiers were part of a guided, three-day backcountry trip run by Blackbird Mountain Guides, based in Truckee. Authorities said the trip roster included four guides and 11 clients, though one client backed out before the group set out. Six people survived and were found Tuesday evening after taking shelter in a makeshift camp during worsening weather. Capt. Russell “Rusty” Greene of the sheriff’s office said the group was moving close together when someone spotted the slide, yelled a warning and the snow overtook them quickly.
Moon said the survivors used emergency gear and communication devices to help rescuers reach them. They sheltered under a tarp and contacted teams by radio and text messages as winds rose and visibility dropped. Two rescue teams totaling about 50 people launched from areas near Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Center, approaching from different directions in case one route became unsafe. A tracked snowcat carried rescuers as close as conditions allowed, and teams then traveled on skis to reach the stranded group. Two of the survivors were not able to travel on their own when help arrived and were taken out for medical treatment. One person remained hospitalized Wednesday with injuries officials described as not life threatening.
Officials said the eight who were found dead had avalanche beacons active, and searchers were still trying to locate one missing skier who was presumed dead. Moon said teams had not removed the bodies from the slope as of Wednesday because of continued snowfall, unstable snow and the danger of additional slides. Instead, responders moved the recovered victims to a single marked area within the avalanche zone to speed later removal when conditions improve. Placer County Sheriff Wayne Wu said Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue deployed two snowcats and 28 team members to assist, and he noted that one of the dead was the spouse of a member of the rescue group, making the response personal for many on scene.
The avalanche occurred during a major Sierra storm that dropped several feet of snow in a short period and brought strong winds at higher elevations. Avalanche forecasters had warned that conditions were dangerous, with the risk of large slides on steep terrain. Officials said they were evaluating the guide company’s decision to continue the trip despite warnings of high danger. Moon said her office was still gathering records and speaking with the company, and that Blackbird Mountain Guides had been cooperative, providing a trip manifest and other information. In a statement issued during the response, the company said it was working with authorities as search efforts continued.
Forecasters described the snowpack as highly unstable, with new snow piling onto weaker layers below. Chris Feutrier, a supervisor for Tahoe National Forest, said the slide occurred on a north facing slope near about 8,200 feet elevation and was classified as a large, dangerous avalanche capable of causing serious injury or death. Feutrier said the type of weak layer involved can remain in place for long periods and can fail when loaded by heavy new snow. He said the hazard remained high because the weak layer was still present and had been reloaded by additional snowfall after the avalanche, limiting how safely crews could move on similar terrain.
The Castle Peak area, popular with backcountry skiers in winter, sits above and near corridors that can quickly turn hazardous during storms. The guided group had stayed at Frog Lake Backcountry Huts near Donner Summit during the trip, officials said, and was returning toward a trailhead on the final day when the avalanche struck. In many seasons the area records extremely high snowfall totals, drawing recreationists seeking deep powder. But heavy snowfall combined with wind can create slabs of snow that break free with little warning. Authorities said the size of Tuesday’s slide was roughly the length of a football field, underscoring how much snow moved at once.
The scale of the deaths added to a grim list of avalanche disasters in the United States. Officials and news organizations described the Castle Peak incident as the deadliest avalanche in the country in nearly half a century, with comparisons to a 1981 avalanche on Mount Rainier in Washington state that killed 11 people. In California, local officials called it the deadliest avalanche in modern state history. National avalanche safety organizations have said avalanches kill an average of about two dozen people each winter in the United States, with most deaths occurring in the backcountry rather than at ski resorts. That broader risk is heightened during and immediately after major storms, when layers of new snow can stress the snowpack.
Recovery work was expected to continue in stages, paced by weather windows and safety assessments. Moon said the missing skier had not been found by Wednesday afternoon, and that searchers were constrained by wind, heavy snowfall and ongoing instability. Nevada County Supervisor Hardy Bullock, who represents the area, said roughly 90 people were involved in Tuesday night’s response and that the worsening storm made it increasingly likely the effort would be a body recovery rather than a rescue. Officials said identification of the dead would be released after next of kin are notified, and they did not immediately provide hometowns or ages.
Officials described a tense scene as rescuers balanced urgency with the need to avoid putting more people at risk. Moon said crews faced blinding snow and strong winds, and she emphasized that safety conditions dictated how long teams could remain in the avalanche zone. Greene said survivors helped locate three bodies before rescuers arrived, but the terrain and weather limited what could be done without specialized equipment and coordinated teams. Wu said additional resources were moved into place as conditions allowed, including snowcats capable of traveling in deep snow where wheeled vehicles could not go.
By Wednesday, the main questions focused on what happened on the slope and what decisions were made in the hours leading up to the slide. Officials said the investigation would include interviews, trip planning details, weather and avalanche forecasts, and the route the group chose as it traveled near Castle Peak. Authorities also planned to review communications, emergency response timelines and the condition of the snowpack. Moon said forecasts had widely predicted the storm and related avalanche danger. At the same time, officials acknowledged that backcountry travel can involve rapidly changing conditions that are difficult to assess once winds, snow and low visibility move in.
Search and recovery teams planned to return to the area as conditions permitted, with the next steps tied to storm intensity and avalanche forecasts. Moon said the goal was to locate the remaining missing skier and to remove the victims when it could be done without creating new hazards for rescuers. Authorities said they would provide additional updates as the search continues and as families are notified. For now, the slope where the avalanche ran remains a dangerous work site, with crews watching the snowpack and waiting for safer access.
Author note: Last updated February 18, 2026.