Avalanche — Greater Lake Tahoe Area, California

2016-01-14 · Greater Lake Tahoe Area, California

Event narrative

A ski instructor exited into the backcountry from the Sugar Bowl ski area on the afternoon of the 14th. When he failed to return home that night, he was reported missing (on the 15th). Tracking and location information from his phone placed him on the backside of Mount Judah in an area with recent avalanche activity...however, inclement weather forced the suspension of the search on the 19th.

On February 29, search and rescue teams using the cell phone information and dogs located the skier under 5 feet of snow. The time of the avalanche was estimated by the Sierra Avalanche Center.

Wider weather episode

Avalanche danger was rated as considerable by the Sierra Avalanche Center on the 14th when a skier went missing. Days of inclement weather around the 14th and high avalanche danger caused the search to be halted on the 19th.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 616052. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.