Ten backcountry skiers are lacking following an avalanche in northern California on Tuesday, with a search and rescue operation underway amid “extremely harmful” situations to get six survivors to security, authorities mentioned.
The avalanche was reported noon Tuesday within the Fort Peak space within the Sierra Nevada, in line with the Nevada County Sheriff’s Workplace.
A gaggle of 15 skiers encountered the avalanche, in line with the sheriff’s workplace.
This screengrab from a video offered by the Nevada County Sheriff’s Workplace reveals a rescue ski group making their solution to the world of an avalanche within the Fort Peak space of Truckee, California, on February 17, 2026. Rescuers have been looking out Tuesday for ten skiers who have been hit by an avalanche within the mountains of California, the place an enormous storm has dumped a number of toes of snow.
Handout/Nevada County Sheriff’s Workplace/AFP/through Getty Pictures
Six individuals have been efficiently rescued this night by search and rescue groups with various accidents, and 9 are nonetheless lacking authorities mentioned.
“Because of excessive climate situations, it took a number of hours for rescue personnel to soundly attain the skiers and transport them to security the place they have been medically evaluated by Truckee Hearth,” the Nevada County Sheriff’s Workplace mentioned in an announcement. “Two of the six skiers have been transported to a hospital for remedy.”
Moon mentioned the precedence Tuesday evening is caring for the six survivors. As soon as that’s accomplished, they may work to find those that stay lacking.
Motorists drive on a snow-covered street throughout a storm on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Pictures/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
Brooke Hess-homeier/AP
Rescuers confronted very troublesome situations, together with avalanche hazard themselves, in line with Brandon Schwartz, director of the Sierra Avalanche Heart, which forecasts avalanche situations within the space round Lake Tahoe. The world noticed 2 to three toes of latest snow within the final 36 hours and extra was nonetheless falling at 2 to 4 inches per hour, Schwartz instructed ABC Information.
The Blackbird Mountain Guides mentioned the avalanche occurred close to the Frog Lake huts within the Fort Peak space. The group of skiers had been staying on the huts since Sunday.
“The group was within the means of returning to the trailhead on the conclusion of a three-day journey when the incident occurred,” the group mentioned in an announcement.
Snow falls, Feb. 17, 2026 in Truckee Calif.
Brooke Hess-Homeier/AP
The Sierra Avalanche Heart mentioned there was “excessive” avalanche hazard within the backcountry on Tuesday.
“Quickly accumulating snowfall, weak layers within the current snowpack, and gale-force winds that blow and drift snow have created harmful avalanche situations within the mountains,” the middle mentioned. “Pure avalanches are probably, and human-triggered avalanches giant sufficient to bury or injure individuals are very probably.”
The Sierra Avalanche Heart has issued an avalanche warning for the Central Sierra Nevada Mountains between Yuba Move on the north and Ebbetts Move on the south, together with the higher Lake Tahoe space, by Wednesday morning.
“Giant avalanches are anticipated to happen Tuesday, Tuesday evening, and into at the least early Wednesday morning throughout backcountry terrain,” the middle mentioned, advising in opposition to journey in, close to or under backcountry avalanche terrain. “HIGH avalanche hazard may proceed by the day on Wednesday.”
A street is roofed in snow throughout a storm on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Pictures/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
Brooke Hess-homeier/AP
Whiteout situations have been reported within the area the place the avalanche occurred.
The California Freeway Patrol’s Truckee workplace warned that prime winds are “creating full whiteout situations” throughout the Donner Summit.
Interstate 80 over Donner Summit was closed in each instructions on Tuesday attributable to whiteout situations and poor visibility.
