Eight backcountry skiers have been confirmed dead and one person remains missing after an avalanche struck a guided expedition in California’s Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe.

Six skiers survived and were rescued after using emergency beacons and sheltering in makeshift tarpaulin huts. Two were taken to hospital with injuries.

The group of 15, including four guides from Blackbird Mountain Guides and 11 clients, had been returning to the trailhead on the final day of a three-day excursion. They were staying at the Frog Lake Backcountry Huts near Donner Summit, Nevada County officials said.

Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said the group “was travelling close together when the avalanche struck,” adding that “extreme weather conditions, I would say, is an understatement” for the rescue effort.

"They were able to locate the six survivors. They were sheltered. They had some equipment with them, trying to not only stay warm, but they had medical issues as well," Moon said.

"They had themselves already started, you know, looking for their teammates and their clients that were missing in the avalanche. They were able to locate three decedents at the time when they were waiting for us to get there to help rescue them," the Nevada County Sheriff added.

Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said the resuce was challenging for the team. "This incident has specifically struck our organisation and that team, .... one of the nine missing, ... is a spouse of one of our Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue team members," he said.

"So as you can understand, this has not only been challenging for our community. It's been a challenging rescue, but it's also been challenging emotionally for our team and our organisation," Woo added

Chris Feutrier, supervisor of the Tahoe National Forest, described the slide as “a wall of snow roughly the length of a football pitch.”

Rescue teams faced life-threatening conditions, including gale-force winds, zero visibility, and risk of further slides. Two teams of about 50 people approached the site from Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Alder Creek Adventure Centre at Tahoe Donner. They travelled partway on snowcats before switching to skis to reduce avalanche risk.

The Sierra Avalanche Centre had issued a “high” danger warning for the northern Sierra Nevada, with up to 18 inches of snow expected on ridge tops in the coming days. The avalanche was triggered by a storm system fed by an atmospheric river bringing heavy precipitation from the Pacific Ocean, which dropped nearly three feet of snow near Donner Peak in the 48 hours before the slide.

Avalanches have claimed an average of 27 lives per winter in the U.S., according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Centre. Ethan Greene, the centre’s director, said Tuesday’s disaster was the deadliest single avalanche in the country since a 1981 slide on Mount Rainier killed 11 climbers.

Blackbird Mountain Guides issued a statement saying it is cooperating with authorities and supporting families of the victims. The company provides guided ski trips, alpine climbing trips, and avalanche education across California, Washington State, British Columbia, and other locations.

Recovery operations have been paused due to severe weather and avalanche risk and will resume when conditions improve. Authorities stressed that rescuers’ safety remains the top priority.

Backcountry skiing takes place in remote terrain without avalanche control or ski patrol services. Experts say most fatal avalanches are triggered by human activity, though rapidly changing weather can sharply increase snow instability.

Local officials in Truckee said the community is preparing for the release of the victims’ names and arranging counselling services. 

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