8 Skiers Found Dead After California Avalanche, 1 Still Missing

The avalanche happened Tuesday in the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Lake Tahoe.

Snow covers a road on an underpass along Interstate 80 near Soda Springs, Calif., on Feb. 18, 2026. Brooke Hess-Homeier/AP Photo

Eight missing backcountry skiers caught in an avalanche on Feb. 17 have died, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office in Nevada County, California.

The sheriff’s office confirmed during a news conference on Feb. 18 that the bodies of eight out of nine skiers have been located but that not all bodies have been recovered because of dangerous conditions.