Overview
- In California’s Sierra Nevada near Castle Peak, a 16‑person off‑piste group was hit by a very large avalanche, with 6 survivors and 10 people reported missing.
- The Sierra Avalanche Center classified the Tahoe slide as “very large” at roughly 2,500 meters, and nearly 50 rescuers are searching the area.
- The California party included four guides and 12 clients who had stayed at Frog Lake Huts and were heading toward the Castle Peak trail near the Boreal area off Interstate 80.
- In Italy’s Aosta Valley, an avalanche on Punta Leysser buried two people during a ski‑mountaineering outing, leaving a 54‑year‑old German dead and another person injured.
- Strong wind and poor visibility limited helicopter access in Italy, forcing rescuers to approach on skis, as the Guardia di Finanza gathers testimony and reviews the incident.