Rescuers searching for nine missing skiers trapped in an avalanche near Lake Tahoe have been hamstrung in their search efforts Wednesday morning after the area was slammed with nearly 2 feet of snow.
There were no signs of rescue activity at Boreal/Castle Peak trailhead where the avalanche struck Tuesday around 11:30 a.m., according to the New York Times, after a group of backcountry skiers were buried by the snow.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/896103729865191 Blackbird Mountain Guides / Facebook
Six of the skiers have been rescued, while nine remain missing.
Soda Springs, located near the avalanche site, got hit by nearly 2 feet of snow over the past 24 hours, weather data said.
The roads in nearby Truckee are “virtually empty,” the Times reported. Snow drifts have been as high as five feet.
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While winter weather in the Lake Tahoe area had calmed by Wednesday morning, it is is still under an avalanche warning. Heavy snow is expected to return Thursday.
There’s evidence the tour company that brought the 15 skiers to the site knew that conditions were hazardous. A video showed a tour guide from Blackbird Mountain Guides sifting through snow with his hands.
The video is ominously captioned: “This weak layer could lead to some unpredictable avalanches!”
The tour company took the skiers on tour Tuesday morning near Castle Peak when the avalanche buried 11 clients and four guides. The group had been returning from a three-day tour.