Eight backcountry skiers are confirmed dead and one missing after a powerful avalanche near Lake Tahoe in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, authorities said Wednesday.Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said the search operation has now shifted from rescue to recovery and that the families of the victims have been notified. The avalanche occurred Tuesday morning in the Green Mountains area near Donner Peak, which was covered in heavy snow and high winds in the middle of winter.According to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, emergency crews received a call around 11:30 a.m. reporting multiple skiers buried under snow. Nearly 50 rescuers were deployed, battling low visibility, strong winds and continued avalanche danger.Six members of the team are still alive after hours of searching in extreme conditions. Two people were injured and taken to the hospital, with one released Tuesday night and the other expected to be released Wednesday, officials said.The skiers were on the final leg of a three-day guided backcountry trip when the avalanche, described as a massive slide of snow, ice and debris about the length of a football field, swept across the slopes near Green Mountain, a popular but avalanche-prone destination near Donner Peak.The expedition is being led by Blackbird Mountain Guides, which says it is cooperating fully with local authorities. The company had earlier warned of unstable snow conditions amid a powerful winter storm sweeping across the Sierra Nevada.Avalanche experts say persistent weak layers in the snowpack were overloaded by new snowfall, triggering the deadly slides. The avalanche threat level in the area was level 4 out of 5 at the time, with forecasters warning that both natural and man-made avalanches were possible.The broader Lake Tahoe area has been experiencing heavy snowfall that has resulted in road closures, disrupted traffic along Interstate 80 and an increased risk of avalanches in backcountry areas. Officials stressed that unlike ski areas, which use controlled explosions to control snow, the risk in the backcountry is much higher and unpredictable.The green hills near Donner Peak have been the site of deadly avalanches in the past. Backcountry travelers account for the majority of annual avalanche deaths in the United States, with about 25 to 30 fatalities each year, according to avalanche authority data.The tragedy, which involved a large, organized and expertly guided group, sent shockwaves through the tight-knit backcountry ski community and highlighted the dangers posed by extreme weather and unstable snow conditions, even for seasoned adventurers.
