Rescuers push through winter storm to 6 survivors of a California
avalanche. 9 others are missing
[February 18, 2026]
By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ and JULIE WATSON
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Crews pushed through mountainous wilderness near
Lake Tahoe during a snowstorm to rescue six backcountry skiers who
survived an avalanche but were trapped by its snow and ice. Nine others
from their tour group remained missing.
Two of the six were taken to a hospital for treatment, said Ashley
Quadros, a spokesperson for the Nevada County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff’s office said Tuesday night that there were 15 skiers on the
trip — not 16 as initially believed.
Search and rescue crews were dispatched to Frog Lake in the Castle Peak
area, northwest of Lake Tahoe, after a 911 call reporting an avalanche
and people buried. A powerful winter storm was moving through California
at the time.
Extreme conditions in the Northern California mountains slowed the
rescue effort. It took crews several hours to reach the skiers and take
them to safety, where they were evaluated by the Truckee Fire
Department.
The sheriff's office said it would provide another update on rescue
efforts at a news conference Wednesday morning.
A three-day ski trip
The skiers were on the last day of a three-day backcountry skiing trek,
said Steve Reynaud, a Tahoe National Forest avalanche forecaster with
the Sierra Avalanche Center, which had contact with people on the ground
in the area. He said the skiers spent two nights at huts on a trip that
required navigating “rugged mountainous terrain” for up to 4 miles (6.4
kilometers) while bringing along all food and supplies.
Nevada County Sheriff Capt. Russell Greene said authorities were
notified about the avalanche by the ski tour company that led the
expedition, Blackbird Mountain Guides, and by emergency beacons the
skiers were carrying. Rescuers made their way cautiously toward the
scene of the avalanche because of the danger of more avalanches.
Blackbird Mountain Guides said in a statement on its website that it was
coordinating with authorities on the rescue operation.
Dangerous backcountry conditions
California is being walloped this week by a powerful winter storm
bringing treacherous thunderstorms, high winds and heavy snow in
mountain areas.
“It’s particularly dangerous in the backcountry right now just because
we’re at the height of the storm,” said Brandon Schwartz, Tahoe National
Forest lead avalanche forecaster at the Sierra Avalanche Center, based
in Truckee.
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A vehicle is buried in snow during a storm on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026
in Truckee Calif. (AP Photos/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
The center issued an avalanche warning for the area in the Central
Sierra Nevada, including the Greater Lake Tahoe region, starting at 5
a.m. Tuesday with large slides expected into Wednesday.
The town of Soda Springs, near where the avalanche took place, recorded
at least 30 inches (76 centimeters) of snow during a 24-hour period,
according to the Soda Springs Mountain Resort.
The dangerous conditions were caused by rapidly accumulating snow piling
on fragile snowpack layers coupled with gale-force winds.
The storm wreaked havoc on roads from the Sierra Nevada to Sonoma
County. Traffic was halted temporarily in both directions on I-80 over
and around Donner Summit due to spinouts and crashes, the authorities
reported.
Several Tahoe ski resorts were fully or partially closed due to the
weather. Resorts along highways have avalanche mitigation programs and
were not expected to be at as high of a risk as the backcountry, where
travel in, near or below avalanche terrain was strongly discouraged, the
center said.
Area has dark history
Castle Peak, a 9,110-foot (2,777-meter) mountain north of Donner Summit,
is a popular backcountry skiing destination. The summit, which can be
perilous in snow, is named for the infamous Donner Party, a group of
pioneers who resorted to cannibalism after getting trapped there in the
winter of 1846-1847.
In January an avalanche in the region buried a snowmobiler in snow and
killed him, authorities said. Each winter, 25 to 30 people die in
avalanches in the U.S., according to the National Avalanche Center.
Training in avalanche assessment and rescue and safety equipment is
highly recommended for backcountry skiing, also known as off-piste
skiing, involves venturing deep into the wilderness far outside the
confines of a resort. Backcountry skis are wider and heavier and have
other features to handle going up and down ungroomed terrain, unlike
cross-country skis, which are narrower and designed for flat, more
groomed trails.
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Watson reported from San Diego. Associated Press writer Audrey McAvoy in
Honolulu contributed.
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