Updates: Truckee community honors 9 killed in Tahoe avalanche during vigil Sunday
Tragedy marks deadliest avalanche disaster in modern California history
- Fifteen skiers were caught in an avalanche north of Lake Tahoe on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026.
- Six skiers were rescued Tuesday night amid extreme weather conditions.
- Nine skiers were killed in the avalanche, confirmed Saturday by the Nevada County Sheriff’s Department during a press conference.
- Search and rescue efforts recovered the remains of the deceased Friday and Saturday.
Truckee community gathers in remembrance of 9 skiers
Over 100 people gathered in downtown Truckee Sunday night to honor the nine victims who died in Tuesday’s avalanche.
The nine skiers were confirmed by the Nevada County Sheriff’s Department Saturday. They include three Blackbird Mountain Guides — Andrew Alissandratos of Verdi; Niki Choo of South Lake Tahoe; and Mike Henry of Tampa, Florida — and six friends — Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse and Kate Vitt of Marin County; Caroline Sekar of San Francisco; Carrie Atkin, a Truckee-Tahoe area resident; and Liz Clabaugh of Boise, Idaho.
“Grief has a way of making us feel very small and very isolated,” said Vice Mayor Courtney Henderson during the vigil. “My deepest hope for tonight is that you feel the opposite, held by the hundreds of neighbors who showed up tonight because that is simply what we do.”
Nine blue wooden hearts displayed the names of those who died. As the vigil came to a close, many people stayed to pay their respects — leaving flowers, origami peace cranes, and written messages on the wooden hearts — and exchanged hugs with one another.
An interfaith service will be held Monday night in Truckee at Church of the Mountains beginning at 5:30 p.m.
9 skiers killed in Lake Tahoe avalanche identified
The names of the nine skiers killed in Tuesday’s avalanche near Castle Peak were confirmed by Sheriff Shannan Moon of the Nevada County Sheriff’s Department during a press conference Saturday.
They include three Blackbird Mountain Guides — Andrew Alissandratos of Verdi; Niki Choo of South Lake Tahoe; and Mike Henry of Tampa, Florida — and six friends previously named in a statement from their families Thursday — Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse and Kate Vitt of Marin County; Caroline Sekar of San Francisco; Carrie Atkin, a Truckee-Tahoe area resident; and Liz Clabaugh of Boise, Idaho.
Search and rescue efforts recovered the remains of the deceased Friday and Saturday. Six others, who were part of the three-day backcountry skiing group, were rescued Tuesday night amid extreme weather conditions.
As reported by KQED, a community vigil is planned for 6 p.m. Sunday in downtown Truckee. An interfaith service is also set to take place at the Church of the Mountains on Monday at 5:30 p.m. and will be followed by drop-in support hours.
Editor’s note: This update was revised on Feb. 22 to correct the last name spellings of Alissandratos and Choo.
Truckee community members plan vigil, provide grief support
Six women among those killed in an avalanche in Tahoe’s backcountry this week were a group of “mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors,” their families said.
They were Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse and Kate Vitt of Marin County; Caroline Sekar of San Francisco; Carrie Atkin, a Truckee-Tahoe area resident; and Liz Clabaugh, of Boise, Idaho, according to a statement from their families released Thursday evening.
For the community of Truckee, which sits at the base of Donner Summit near where the avalanche occurred, the news of the deadly avalanche has been traumatizing, said Mayor Anna Klovstad.
A community vigil is planned for 6 p.m. Sunday in downtown Truckee, and a community grief support listening session is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sierra College.
An interfaith service is also set to take place at the Church of the Mountains on Monday at 5:30 p.m. and will be followed by drop-in support hours.
Six women killed in Tahoe avalanche are identified as ‘treacherous’ storm delays recovery
Six women who were killed in this week’s avalanche in the Sierra Nevada were identified as close friends and skilled skiers from the Bay Area, Truckee region and Idaho, according to a statement Thursday from their families, KQED reported Thursday.
“We are devastated beyond words,” read the statement, released by a spokesperson for the families. “Our focus right now is supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women. They were all mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors.”
The women were identified as Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar and Kate Vitt.
Authorities have confirmed eight deaths in what has become the deadliest avalanche in modern California history, and a ninth person who is missing is presumed dead. Six others, who were part of a three-day backcountry skiing group staying at the Frog Lake huts near Castle Peak, were rescued amid extreme weather conditions Tuesday night.
Sugar Bowl Academy mourns community members after deadly Castle Peak avalanche kills eight
Sugar Bowl Academy said it is mourning the loss of respected, valued and loved members of its community after Tuesday’s deadly avalanche near Castle Peak.
In a statement, Sugar Bowl Academy said members of its school and the broader Donner Summit community were among those who died. Authorities are not releasing names of the victims or survivors, out of respect for families.
Executive Director Stephen McMahon called the academy “an incredibly close and connected community,” adding that the focus now is on surrounding athletes and families with care, and allowing space for grief and healing in the months ahead.
According to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Department, recovery teams are unable to remove the victims from the mountain Thursday because of severe weather conditions. Recovery efforts are expected to continue into the weekend.
One still missing after avalanche strikes backcountry skiers near Lake Tahoe
Eight people are dead after being caught in an avalanche northwest of Lake Tahoe. Dangerous conditions are making it difficult to locate one person who is still missing and presumed dead.
This segment aired on February 19, 2026. View the original publication of this segment on NPR.org.
Eight backcountry skiers confirmed dead, one remains missing
As of this afternoon, authorities say eight backcountry skiers are confirmed dead after an avalanche near Castle Peak, north of Interstate 80 near Donner Summit. One skier remains missing.
The operation has officially shifted from a rescue to a recovery mission.
Fifteen people were on the trip. Six survived: One guide and five clients. Two were injured; one remains hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
The avalanche struck Tuesday morning in remote terrain within the Tahoe National Forest. The group was on a guided three-day ski tour with Blackbird Mountain Guides.
Continue reading this report from KUNR’s Maria Palma.
Search continues for skiers caught in Lake Tahoe avalanche
The search continues for nine skiers caught in an avalanche north of Lake Tahoe, California. Six others were rescued Tuesday amid one of the strongest winter storms of the year in and around the Donner Pass.
This segment aired on February 18, 2026. View the original publication of this segment on the WBUR website.
Six skiers rescued after California avalanche; search continues for nine others
Six backcountry skiers who survived an avalanche in California Tuesday have been rescued. The sheriff's office said the search for the nine remaining skiers is ongoing.
This segment aired on February 18, 2026. View the original publication of this segment and transcript on NPR.org.