Portugal Colonial - Desperate search for nine skiers missing in California avalanche

Officials said a group of 15 people were caught up in the avalanche on Castle Peak in the Tahoe area Tuesday morning.

Six skiers had been rescued "with varying injuries" that evening, the Nevada County Sheriff's Office said, though mountain rescue teams battling treacherous conditions were still trying to find the others as snow fell and daylight faded.

Two of the rescued skiers were taken to a hospital for treatment.

"Due to extreme weather conditions, it took several hours for rescue personnel to safely reach the skiers and transport them to safety where they were medically evaluated by Truckee Fire," the sheriff's office said late Tuesday in a statement.

"The search is ongoing, pending weather conditions."

California Governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the operation.

"The state is coordinating an all-hands search and rescue effort with local partners and deploying resources to support the active response," his office posted on X.

Blackbird Mountain Guides, the company leading the doomed backcountry trip, said the 11 clients and four guides 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," Blackbird said in a statement, adding it is in "full coordination" with the sheriff's office regarding search-and-rescue operations.

Over 40 first responders were involved in the search, according to officials, including "highly skilled rescue ski teams" from both Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner's Alder Creek Adventure Center, who were dispatched to rescue the six known survivors.

A powerful storm packing several feet of snow continued to pummel the Sierra Nevada mountain range throughout the day, with forecasters warning of white-out conditions.

Sugar Bowl Resort, in the immediate area, is reporting more than five feet (1.6 meters) of snow fell there in the past week, including 26 inches from Tuesday to Wednesday morning.

Experts had warned of severe avalanche risk.

The National Weather Service said parts of the Sierra Nevadas above 3,500 feet could see up to eight feet of snow over the next 48 hours, with wind gusts as strong as 55 miles (90 kilometers) an hour.

Sheriff's office Captain Russell Green told local station KCRA that officials discourage people from backcountry skiing.

"People go out and use the backcountry at all times," Green said. "We advise against it, obviously, but I wouldn't say that it's uncommon. Not that it was a wise choice."

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center has tallied six US avalanche fatalities so far this season, including one in Castle Peak in January.

P.Sousa--PC