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More snowfall connected the mode for California
FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray is unrecorded successful South Lake Tahoe, California wherever determination is simply a impermanent intermission successful snowfall, but much is connected the way. The archetypal question of snowfall has created unsafe conditions, already causing an avalanche that has 9 skiers inactive missing with rescue efforts underway.
NEVADA COUNTY, Calif.– Eight of the 9 skiers who were reported missing aft an avalanche successful the Sierra Nevada connected Tuesday person been recovered dead. Officials said 1 idiosyncratic is inactive missing and presumed dead.
The West Coast has seen aggravated snowfall from aggregate storms slamming the portion from Sunday nighttime into Monday. Snow by Tuesday had reached 3 to 4 feet successful the Sierra Nevada mountains.
8 SKIERS FOUND DEAD, 1 STILL MISSING AFTER SIERRA NEVADA AVALANCHE AMID EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS
An avalanche informing was issued Tuesday and remains successful effect done Thursday, meaning precocious avalanche information persists.
Conditions stay highly unsafe arsenic the sheriff's bureau and different agencies enactment to retrieve the 8 radical confirmed dormant and proceed to look for the past missing person.
(FOX Weather)
Here is simply a timeline of events that took spot anterior to the avalanche occurring and however they basal currently:
11:00 a.m. PT, Wed., Feb. 18: Nevada County Sheriff's Office announces 8 dead, 1 inactive missing
The Nevada County Sheriff's Office said successful a property league connected Wednesday greeting that 8 of the 9 missing skiers had been recovered dead. One skier was inactive missing.
All 8 radical located dormant were wearing avalanche beacons, the sheriff's bureau said. Those recovered dormant stay successful the avalanche country astatine this clip owed to the utmost upwind conditions.
One of the skiers who was rescued and hospitalized connected Tuesday nighttime was released. The different is inactive successful the infirmary but should beryllium released soon, the sheriff's bureau said.
The sheriff's bureau said 4 men and 2 women were rescued alive.
Rescuers were notified of the six survivors via iPhone SOS signals. They besides had avalanche beacons, the sheriff's bureau said.
The sheriff's bureau said the ngo has transitioned to recovery.
Blackbird Mountain Guides has been precise cooperative passim the full rescue process, the sheriff's bureau said. Officials said the circuit radical wanted to bash everything they could to assistance with the rescue.
8:00 a.m. PT, Wed., Feb. 18: Ski circuit radical gives further statement
Blackbird Mountain Guides issued a 2nd connection connected Wednesday greeting saying their full team's superior absorption is being dedicated to the hunt and rescue efforts successful the Castle Peak area.
The radical said they were successful changeless connection with rescuers.
10:40 p.m. PT, Tue. Feb. 17: 6 skiers rescued with varying injuries
Late Tuesday night, the Nevada County Sheriff's Office announced the six skiers who survived the avalanche were rescued.
The sheriff's bureau said 2 of the six skiers were taken to the infirmary for treatment. The different 4 skiers had varying injuries, the sheriff's bureau said.
Extreme upwind conditions meant it took respective hours for rescuers to scope the six surviving skiers.
Nevada County Sheriff's bureau look astatine a representation of the mountains amid hunt and rescue operations.
(Nevada County Sheriff's Office / FOX Weather)
7:30 p.m. PT, Tue., Feb. 17: Blackbird Mountain Guides issues connection connected missing skiers
Hours into the rescue process, the skis circuit usher radical liable for the travel the skiers were on, makes a connection regarding the rescue.
"The enactment squad astatine Blackbird Mountain Guides is moving successful afloat coordination with the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office and Nevada County Search and Rescue to enactment the ongoing rescue operation," they said successful part. "Blackbird Mountain Guides is successful nonstop interaction with the exigency contacts of the affected clients and guides and is providing them with regular updates arsenic verified accusation becomes available."
5:30 p.m. PT, Tue., Feb. 17: Rescuers scope survivors connected mountain
The Nevada County Sheriff's Office said they reached the radical of survivors astatine 5:30 p.m. connected Tuesday.
The Snowcat they had brought into the rescue was forced to halt astir 2 miles from the survivors, and rescuers skied successful to get to the six survivors.
ICONIC APOSTLE ISLANDS ICE CAVES AT LAKE SUPERIOR REOPEN FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2015
Two of the six skiers were incapable to locomotion owed to injuries, the sheriff's bureau said during a Wednesday property conference.
The sheriff's bureau said the six survivors had begun searching for the missing portion they awaited rescue, and located 3 of the missing.
3:40 p.m. PT, Tue., Feb. 17: 6 skiers past and await rescue, others missing
On Tuesday afternoon, the Nevada County Sheriff's Office gave an update connected the hunt and rescue mission.
They said six skiers survived the avalanche and remained astatine the avalanche tract awaiting rescue.
It was primitively reported that 16 radical had been connected the trip. It was aboriginal corrected to accidental lone 15 were out, which near 9 radical missing.
2 DEAD AFTER AVALANCHE NEAR SITE OF WINTER OLYMPICS IN ITALIAN ALPS
The rescue ngo to find 9 skiers caught successful an avalanche connected Tuesday continues.
(Nevada County Sheriff's Office / FOX Weather)
The sheriff's bureau said a Snowcat squad and highly skilled rescue skis teams were sent to marque their mode to the six known survivors, who were directed to structure successful spot arsenic champion arsenic they could fixed the ongoing upwind conditions.
Weather conditions remained highly unsafe astatine the time.
The sheriff's bureau said 46 exigency archetypal responders were assisting with the rescue mission.
People shield their faces against dense blowing snowfall successful the hunt for missing skiers successful the Castle Peak area.
(Nevada County Sheriff's Office / FOX Weather)
12:06 p.m. PT, Tue., Feb. 17: Search and rescue cognition announced
The Nevada County Sheriff's Office took to societal media to fto the nationalist cognize an avalanche occurred successful the Castle Peak country and a radical of backcountry skiers had been caught successful the avalanche with respective skiers reported missing.
The full fig of missing radical astatine the clip was undetermined.
A hunt ensued with the Nevada County Sheriff's Office and their hunt and rescue squad and allied agencies looking for the missing skiers.
HOW CANNONS ARE USED TO FIGHT AVALANCHES
11:30 a.m PT, Tue., Feb. 17: Avalanche occurs successful Castle Peak area
As dense snowfall and aggravated winds continued passim the Sierra Nevada, the Blackbird Mountain Guides radical made the determination to caput backmost to the trailhead from the Frog Lake Huts.
At astir 11:30 a.m., an avalanche happened successful the country arsenic the radical was making their mode backmost to the trail.
DANGERS OF AVALANCHES, AND WHAT TO DO IF AN AVALANCHE IS COMING AT YOU
(FOX Weather)
Sunday, Feb. 15: Ski radical makes it to Frog Lake huts
A radical of 11 skiers and 4 skis guides with Blackbird Mountain Guides marque it to the Frog Lake huts successful the Castle Peak country of the Sierra Nevada. The three-day travel was acceptable to reason connected Tuesday.
Nine women and six men were connected the trip. The radical attending ranged successful property from 30 to 55 years old, the Nevada County Sheriff's Office said. They were from aggregate states.
Heavy snowfall began successful the portion overnight Sunday into Monday portion the skiers were connected their trip.
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