Another Inbound Avalanche Kills Skier at Lake Tahoe

An avalanche hit Alpine Meadows ski resort in Lake Tahoe on Jan 17, killing one and seriously injuring another. Officials with the Placer County Sheriff’s Department tweeted about the avalanche at 11:20 a.m. on Friday.

“Witnesses to the incident saw no other individuals involved, no additional individuals have been reported missing and the search was declared complete at 11:45 a.m.,” the news release says.

A massive storm hit the area on Thursday and left over 60 centimetres of snow in the mountains. An avalanche warning was issued by the National Weather Service for the Lake Tahoe area on Thursday.

Search has been stopped. We believe all victims have been recovered at #AlpineMeadows. pic.twitter.com/gZCBSj8iu2

— Placer Sheriff (@PlacerSheriff) January 17, 2020

At approximately 10:16 am today an avalanche was reported in the area between Scott Chute and Promised Land near Scott Chair at Alpine Meadows, within an open area of the resort. A male skier sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office at approximately 11am. A second male skier sustained severe lower-body injuries and was transported to the hospital by ambulance. Alpine Meadows Ski Patrol responded immediately to the scene and completed a thorough search of the area with the help of additional resort personnel and members of the public using avalanche transceivers, probes, RECCO Rescue System technology, and avalanche rescue dog teams. Witnesses to the incident saw no other individuals involved, no additional individuals have been reported missing and the search was declared complete at 11:45am.

The entire Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows team, including all of the first responders, extend their deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased. We are working closely with the families of all the affected individuals to ensure their continued care.

Avalanche mitigation work had been performed in the area prior to opening to skiers and riders for the day.

The cause of the avalanche is unknown at this time pending additional investigation.

Here’s a look at the avalanche danger scale from the Sierra Avalanche Center for today: pic.twitter.com/qMlbIzInVq

— Emily Maher (@EmilyMaherTV) January 17, 2020