Authorities say 6 backcountry skiers found alive, 10 are missing after Northern California avalanche

Associated Press (AP)EN 5 min read 100% complete by By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ and JULIE WATSONFebruary 18, 2026 at 01:23 AM

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long article 5 min

An avalanche in the Castle Peak area, northwest of Lake Tahoe, California, on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, left 10 backcountry skiers missing. Rescue crews were dispatched to Frog Lake after a 911 call reported the avalanche and people buried. As of Tuesday, six skiers were found alive but trapped, and rescue efforts were underway amidst blizzard conditions and a high risk of further avalanches. The search and rescue operation involved crews on skis and snowcats battling the severe weather to reach the trapped skiers. The incident occurred as a powerful winter storm moved through the region.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Ashley Qu 30% SAN FRANCISCO 30% Interstate 80 40% Castle Peak 50% Lake Tahoe 50% Associated Press (AP) ×760% Frog Lake 60% Truckee, California ×570% Northern California 75% California ×490% Avalanche ×295%

Keywords

avalanche 100% backcountry skiers 90% search and rescue 80% missing skiers 70% california 60% winter storm 60% blizzard conditions 50% frog lake 40%

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Negative

Score: -0.40

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Source

Associated Press (AP)

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

California

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis.

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avalanche backcountry skiers search and rescue missing skiers california winter storm blizzard conditions frog lake

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