Multiple Skiers Missing in Avalanche Near Tahoe
Snow falls on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Truckee, California. (AP Photos/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
A familiar and dangerous risk has returned to Tahoe’s backcountry. Authorities report that several backcountry skiers are missing after an avalanche struck Tuesday late morning in the Castle Peak area, north of Truckee, California, according to the Reno Gazette Journal.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that it received a report of the slide around 11:30 a.m. and immediately sent deputies and search-and-rescue teams to the scene. The Sierra Avalanche Center told SFGate that as many as 10 people may be missing at an elevation of 8,200 feet.
“It has been reported that a group of backcountry skiers was involved in the incident, with several members of the party missing at this time,” the sheriff’s office said.
A major winter storm is sweeping through California, bringing heavy snowfall and unstable snowpack layers, creating high avalanche risk in regions including the Greater Lake Tahoe area, the AP reports.
Castle Peak, about 40 miles west of Reno near Donner Lake, is a popular destination for backcountry enthusiasts. The area has already seen deadly conditions this season: an avalanche there on Jan. 5 claimed one life.
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