Avalanche Palisades Tahoe: One Dead, One Injured

Deadly avalanche at California ski resort kills one and injures another as major storm with snow and gusty winds hits.

An avalanche occurred at a California ski resort near Lake Tahoe, killing one person and injuring another. The avalanche occurred on steep slopes under the KT-22 lift, which serves "black diamond" runs for skilled skiers and snowboarders, prompting the resort to close 30 minutes after it opened. The avalanche debris field is approximately 150 feet wide, 450 feet long, and 10 feet deep.

The avalanche happened as a powerful storm was expected to bring as much as 2 feet of snow to the highest elevations by early Thursday. The National Weather Service in Reno said 2 inches could fall per hour Wednesday around the lake. A 110 mph gust was recorded Tuesday afternoon at the summit of Alpine Meadows, the adjoining resort.

The site of the 1960 Winter Olympics, Palisades Tahoe, is located on the western side of Lake Tahoe, about 40 miles from Reno, Nevada. A season pass holder at Palisades mentioned that the KT-22 lift was supposed to open for the first time on the day of the avalanche. The steep run along the side of the lift is where the grand slalom was held during the 1960 Olympics. The avalanche occurred at an early hour, but there are "powder hounds" who "like to ski in this type of storm."

This is not the first avalanche to occur in the area. In 2020, an avalanche at Alpine Meadows killed one skier and seriously injured another a day after a major storm. Another avalanche at Alpine Meadows in March 1982 killed seven people, including several employees of the ski resort.

The cause of the avalanche was a major storm with snow and gusty winds moving into the region. The Placer County sheriff's office expressed condolences to the victims' family members and stated that no one else was missing. The National Weather Service in Reno said that the storm was expected to bring significant snowfall to the area.