USA: Tragic Avalanche at Palisades Tahoe Claims One Life, Injures Another
An avalanche at Palisades Tahoe ski resort in Olympic Valley, California, claimed one life and injured another on Wednesday morning.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office reported the fatality and non-life-threatening injury after the snow slide, withholding details pending a coroner’s investigation.
Both victims were visitors from outside the area. Two others were caught in the avalanche but were assisted by partners or fellow guests. The resort closed both sides of the mountain for the day.
The incident occurred on the Palisades side above the GS bowl area of KT-22 around 9:30 a.m. local time. Despite a strong winter storm, the resort had opened KT-22 at 9 a.m., with ski patrol conducting avalanche control assessments since Sunday.
Avalanche risk was acknowledged by the Sierra Avalanche Center. Avalanche mitigation at the resort involves assessing historical and current weather data, wind speed, snow path, density, and wind direction.
The Olympic Valley Fire Department and Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue responded to the incident, with medical personnel attending to injuries. The sheriff’s office is investigating the case. Palisades Tahoe is located on the western side of Lake Tahoe, approximately 40 miles from Reno.
