Where did the Tahoe-area avalanche happen? What to know
Ten skiers remained missing Tuesday afternoon after an avalanche struck in the Sierra Nevada near Truckee, authorities said.
A group of 16 backcountry skiers was involved in the slide near Castle Peak around 11:30 a.m., according to the Sierra Avalanche Center and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.
“Highly skilled rescue ski teams have departed from both Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Center to make their way to the six known survivors, who have been directed to shelter in place as best they can in the conditions,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. “Weather conditions remain highly dangerous.”
Nearly four dozen rescuers continued to respond Tuesday afternoon in blizzard conditions.
Where is Castle Peak?
Castle Peak, the site of Tuesday’s avalanche is about 10 miles west of Truckee, just north of Interstate 80. It is accessed from the Boreal Mountain ski area and nearby trailheads.
Backcountry skiers often reach Castle Peak from the Castle Peak trailhead near Boreal, following routes that cross multiple avalanche-prone slopes. The area is also near the Pacific Crest Trail. Sierra Nevada Geotourism calls the peak “one of the icons of Donner Summit” due to its accessibility to the major mountain highway and the trail.
Castle Peak is popular year-round for hiking and mountain biking in summer and backcountry skiing and snowshoeing in winter. It’s about 80 miles northeast of Sacramento and 30 miles west of Reno, Nevada.
The skiers involved in Tuesday’s avalanche had been staying at the Frog Lake Huts, a backcountry lodge operated by the Truckee Donner Land Trust. Officials said the group appeared to have been headed toward the Castle Peak trailhead when the avalanche struck around 11:30 a.m.
The land trust notes on its website that usual routes to and from the huts carry “some degree of avalanche hazard,” and some routes pass through “numerous avalanche hazards.”
The peak itself is the glaciated remains of an old volcano, overlying the granite block which dominates the Sierra farther south, according to the Donner Summit Association.
What are the conditions in the Castle Peak area?
The Sierra Avalanche Center issued an avalanche warning at 5 a.m. Tuesday for the central Sierra Nevada, including the Castle Peak area. The warning was in effect through early Wednesday.
Forecasters rated avalanche danger as “high,” the second-most-dangerous level below extreme. Under a high rating, large avalanches are considered very likely, and travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended.
“Avalanches could be triggered from very low on the slope in some areas,” the center said. Slides from above can also travel through trees, terrain sometimes considered safer during storms.
The avalanche occurred during a blizzard that dumped significant snowfall across the Sierra. Boreal Mountain Resort reported about 2½ feet of snow in the previous 24 hours and shut down lifts because of “heavy snowfall and deteriorating conditions.”
Severe weather, deep new snow and wind complicated rescue efforts Tuesday. Helicopter response was not possible, officials said, and nearly four dozen rescuers were working to reach survivors in the backcountry.
This story was originally published February 17, 2026 at 5:47 PM with the headline "Where did the Tahoe-area avalanche happen? What to know."
