Avalanche Near Truckee Leaves Ten Skiers Missing Amid Sierra Storm

A powerful winter storm turned a popular backcountry destination into a disaster zone Tuesday morning as an avalanche near Truckee left ten skiers missing and six others stranded in treacherous conditions.

The slide occurred around 11:30 a.m. at Castle Peak, a well-known backcountry skiing area near Interstate 80 in the Sierra Nevada. According to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, the avalanche struck a guided group of 16 people four mountain guides and 12 clients as intense snowfall and hurricane-force winds battered the region.

By late Tuesday, at least ten skiers remained unaccounted for while six survivors were still at the scene awaiting rescue. Officials stressed that extraction efforts were being conducted cautiously due to ongoing avalanche danger and near-zero visibility.

The avalanche near Truckee unfolded amid what meteorologists described as one of the most severe Sierra Nevada winter events in recent years.

Key conditions contributing to the disaster:

• Approximately 30 inches of snowfall in 24 hours near Boreal Mountain.

• Snow totals exceeding 28 inches in parts of the central Sierra, with another two to three feet forecast.

• Ridge-top wind gusts surpassing 100 miles per hour.

• Valley winds reaching 45 miles per hour.

• Near-whiteout visibility across major corridors.

The Sierra Avalanche Center had already rated avalanche danger as high before the slide, warning that a widespread natural avalanche cycle was likely. Their advisory explicitly cautioned against any travel in or near avalanche terrain.

“Large avalanches may run through treed areas,” the bulletin warned.

Despite those warnings, backcountry travel continued underscoring the inherent risks of skiing outside controlled resort boundaries during extreme weather events.

Search and rescue ski teams from Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Alder Creek Adventure Center were deployed to assist local authorities.

However, officials emphasized that rescue crews themselves face substantial danger. Active snowfall, unstable snowpack, and sustained high winds mean that additional avalanches remain possible.

Avalanches account for an average of 25 to 30 deaths annually in the United States, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. California’s Sierra Nevada range, with its heavy, moisture-rich snow and steep terrain, is among the nation’s most avalanche-prone regions.

When combined with strong winds, fresh snowfall can create unstable wind slabs layers of snow that can collapse suddenly under the weight of a skier or even naturally.

The avalanche near Truckee is only part of the broader crisis gripping Northern California.

• Portions of Interstate 80 and other mountain highways were closed.

• Multiple Sierra ski resorts shut down operations.

• The California Highway Patrol warned that visibility in some areas had dropped to near zero.

• Winter storm warnings remain in effect from southwest Oregon through Central California.

“This isn’t inconvenient weather. This is unsafe travel,” highway officials warned in a public statement.

The Central Sierra Snow Lab at the University of California, Berkeley, reported snowfall levels not seen in several seasons, highlighting the magnitude of the current system.

Castle Peak has long attracted experienced backcountry skiers drawn to its steep lines and expansive terrain. But the avalanche near Truckee serves as a sobering reminder that nature remains unpredictable especially during extreme storm cycles.

Avalanche experts consistently stress three core safety principles:

• Check avalanche forecasts before entering backcountry terrain.

• Avoid travel during high or extreme avalanche danger ratings.

• Carry proper rescue equipment, including beacons, probes, and shovels.

Even with preparation, however, certain storm events overwhelm standard risk mitigation measures.

As rescue teams continue operations when conditions allow, families await word on the missing skiers. Officials have urged the public to stay out of avalanche-prone terrain until the storm system moves through and snowpack conditions stabilize.

For now, the Sierra Nevada remains locked in one of its fiercest winter blasts in years and Castle Peak stands as a stark illustration of how quickly recreation can turn into survival.

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