2026 Lake Tahoe avalanche

Snow began in California on the night of Sunday, February 15, with forecasters calling for of snow potentially falling along the Sierra Crest, including Donner Pass with the heaviest snow projected for February 16 through the 17th in the Sierra. By February 17, snow accumulation reached in the Sierra Nevada region, where Lake Tahoe is located. An avalanche warning was issued for the Lake Tahoe region early on the 17th, which remained in effect until February 19, the warning also said avalanches up to D3 in size were likely, or avalanches large enough to bury a car or house. The skiing group left for Frog Lake on February 15. The group consisted of 11 skiers and four tour guides, and multiple were associated with the Sugar Bowl Academy, a private school and US Ski and Snowboard club for ages between 5 to 23 years old. The trip was meant to last three days and return on February 17. The group was scheduled to trek to Frog Lake, an alpine lake a few miles northeast of the Donner Party disaster, then stay in the Frog Lake huts for two nights while backcountry skiing before returning. == Avalanche ==

The avalanche occurred on the north side of Perry Peak at around 11:30 am. The group was heading back towards the trailhead and was caught quickly by the snow. Shortly after noon, the Nevada County authorities announced a search and rescue operation in the area. The survivors attempted to find and recover the missing party members prior to first responders locating them, with three of the victims found by the survivors prior to being rescued. Nevada County Undersherriff Sam Brown said it was thought that after the avalanche, the survivors went into "frantic mode" in their attempts to unbury their friends and partners, and were ultimately unsuccessful in freeing three others. == Victims ==

Eight people were killed in the avalanche and one person, who is missing, was presumed killed as well. Another was identified as the spouse of a Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue team member. == Investigation ==

Authorities were investigating the tour group's decision to embark on the excursion despite the large risk of heavy snow and avalanches. == Reactions ==

The tour group that organized the excursion, Blackbird Mountain Guides, said they were assisting the authorities with rescue efforts. The executive director of the Sugar Bowl Academy said the school was not sharing the names of any victims or survivors out of respect of the families, and that there was overwhelming support seen in the community. California Governor Gavin Newsom expressed his condolences and that he and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom had connections with some of the victims, stating that they had mutual friends with some and that his wife's old family friends were impacted. == References ==