Eight Skiers Confirmed Dead In California Avalanche

The Nevada County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that at least eight skiers died in a backcountry avalanche near Castle Peak, located near Truckee and Lake Tahoe, California, yesterday, February 17, 2026.

Speaking at a press conference today, Sheriff Shannan Moon confirmed the death toll and that six skiers were rescued last night.

The body of one of the victims remains missing at this time. The eight deceased individuals have been located. Moon mentioned that the Nevada County Sheriff's Office has transitioned its operations from rescue to recovery.

Officials added that five of the people rescued were tour group clients, and one was an employee of Blackbird Mountain Guides.

The ski group, in total, consisted of four guides and 11 clients. The group encountered the avalanche Tuesday morning at around 11:30 a.m., when authorities said they received a 911 call.

In a statement shared on Tuesday evening, Blackbird Mountain Guides said they had been “staying at the Frog Lake huts since February 15. The group was in the process of returning to the trailhead at the conclusion of a three-day trip when the incident occurred.”

The company added that its leadership team was “working in full coordination with the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office and Nevada County Search and Rescue to support the ongoing rescue operation.”

It took several hours for rescuers to reach the skiers and bring them to safety because of “extreme weather conditions,” the Sheriff’s Office said. Over the past 24 hours, the mountains around Lake Tahoe have been hit by an intense storm that deposited several feet of snow.

As of Wednesday, the avalanche danger remains “high” in the backcountry around Lake Tahoe, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center. The forecasting group is warning that “the potential continues for large to very large avalanches occurring.”

The incident joins the 1982 Alpine Meadows avalanche, which killed seven, as one of the deadliest avalanches in U.S. history.

POWDER will update this article as more information is made available.