The topic of “tahoe avalanche” is currently trending due to several alarming news events that have captured public attention. Most significantly, eight backcountry skiers were found dead near Lake Tahoe, highlighting the severe dangers associated with avalanches in the area. This tragic incident, combined with the ongoing winter season, has raised awareness around the risks of backcountry skiing and snow sports, contributing to a spike in search interest.
Additionally, a separate avalanche resulted in the death of a snowmobiler near Lake Tahoe, marking it as the latest fatality in a season already characterized by dangerous snow conditions. These incidents have not only heightened concerns about winter sports safety but have also prompted increased searches for information related to avalanche occurrences and safety measures.
The combination of multiple fatalities and the ongoing winter season has created a perfect storm for heightened search activity. As people seek information on safety protocols, current avalanche conditions, and updates on the ongoing investigations, it is no surprise that searches related to “tahoe avalanche” have surged to over 100,000.
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Internet Reacts
W
One of the dead is the spouse of someone on the search and rescue team. Awful all around.
A
You’d have a hard time keeping me off of a SAR team if my wife or kid was missing.
R
Reminds me of an avalanche in Utah 5 or so years ago. Two parties involved, one high and one low, didn’t know each other and might not have known the other was on the mountain. A guy from the high party survived and dug out multiple people who survived, including from the low party. But his girlfriend or fiance was caught, carried, and buried several hundred feet down slope. The guy’s efforts were certainly heroic, but no one would blame him if he was hoping to uncover his girlfriend alive. Can’t imagine the anguish only to uncover someone you don’t know. Ultimately they located all the victims but called off the rescue and dug them out in the morning. How can you leave the mountain knowing your friends and loved ones are buried in the snow? Absolutely horrible stuff. [Here](https://utahavalanchecenter.org/avalanche/59084) is the avalanche report from the UAC if you want to read it. The UAC is phenomenal and this is probably the “best” report I have ever read.
L
Was thinking about the same Utah avalanche last night. Such a terrible thing for him to experience.
P
There was an avalanche just outside of the Mt. Bachelor area last season and a husband and wife both died. They had skied that particular route dozens of times.
L
I still think of them whenever I’m up Millcreek in the winter, such a sad and avoidable tragedy. I’m sure backcountry turns are amazing, and I know 99% of people enjoy it without issue, but it’s stories like that remind me maybe it’s not so bad chilling, having a beer on the lift and enjoying a maintained resort setting
L
this is something I really struggle with when I consider getting into backcountry. Could I enjoy it, ski the lines & never have an issue? Sure. But the risk of the negatives outweigh any positives imo. I feel like I can get 90% of the fun with a lot less risk skiing inbounds. It’s more expensive, sure. But I doubt I’ll ever get into it because of the major downsides. I can’t imagine going through something like this
L
Bingo, plus the backcountry enthusiasts want us to have this outlook so it’s less crowded for them lol One thing about the expense, everyone I know who skis backcountry doubles down and gets a season pass somewhere too. Not sure if that’s the norm across the board, but that really doesn’t help cut costs haha
U
Ski passes are cheap compared to the extra gear and expenses involved in backcountry like classes, hut reservations, and trips to remote trailheads.
S
Worth noting that in that Utah accident avalanche risk was High (lvl 4), the same as it was yesterday in Truckee. You can ski hard pack spring volcano snow and never really expose yourself to avalanche risk, or you can go out into avalanche terrain on a very risky day. The thing with the backcountry is there’s no one to stop you from making those choices.
M
Same here, doubt I ever will now. If risk is very low with great weather, maybe, but I would have to back out and cancel with any 3-4/5 warning and heavy snow coming, especially after knowing about thus and other incidents.
F
Reminds me of what happened to Hayden Kennedy. I won’t type it all out here but for those curious look it up. Super sad story.
A
Super intense. Also a good reminder to not follow summertime trails on the uphill if in the middle of exposed terrain.
C
Which is morally right but bad in practice. You would likely tend to overextend and put yourself and others in the search party in danger
M
Then they can just let me die. If a man can’t spend his life in the pursuit of something he values, is he even free?
W
That isn’t the main problem. The main problem is diverting rescue resources from your loved one to YOU because you inappropriately involved yourself. I’ve been in multiple situations near water with lifeguards where I had to repeatedly remind myself that if my son goes overboard/under I CAN’T follow because I would just be in the way. It feels like an instinct I would have a hard time surppressing even when I logically know it would make things worse. Don’t get me wrong if there is no one qualified nearby you couldn’t stop me. But otherwise I’d have to commit to losing my shit on the sidelines and it would be the hardest thing I’d ever do in my life.
M
I was always taught that we don’t become part of the emergency. As a nurse.
J
You’re free to go out looking on your own but you shouldn’t be on the SAR team. Do you think oncologists treat themselves or their loved ones with cancer?
B
My stepbrothers are ski patrol on baker. They had the opportunity to save their dad’s life one winter in an avalanche. Yeah so… how’s that will lookin pop?
L
Avalanche inbounds?
L
Baker does avalanche control all the time for inbounds stuff.
P
That would lead to biased or bad decision making. I wish they kept them off to be honest.
T
Where’s this information from?
W
BBC just reported it in their latest update.
T
Thank you! Much more reliable than the Mirror. This is gutting regardless!
T
https://www.kolotv.com/2026/02/17/avalanche-reported-castle-peak-area/ If you want the local news.
T
Appreciate it. Thank you.
S
It’s also in the LA Times story about the avalanche.
R
The article
T
I found it in the press conference. Wouldn’t trust the mirror to be reliable but they are correct here.
I
Oh my gosh! Horrible
P
Third most deadly avalanche in US history. Damn.
O
Just looked it up because of this comment. 96 killed on a stick train in 1910. 65 killed on the Alaskan gold rush 1898.11 ice climbers died in 1981, so I think this is number 4. Absolutely awful thing to have happened. https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/a-look-at-the-deadliest-avalanches-in-us-history-21361073.php
S
My uncle was one of the survivors of the 1981 avalanche. First and last time he considered climbing.
S
Most who climb mt rainier walk right through there (disappointment cleaver route). The guides go a little faster through that section.
J
There have to be more old timey ones not counted here. How many times did an 18 person mining camp get wiped out and it didn’t even make the papers.
A
I think theres probably a technicality in counting the Alaskan one in 1898 because it wasnt a state yet. I hate to be that person, i just wonder if thats why some places would count it and others might not
S
Yeah that 1910 one is just a little bit down the mountain from Steven’s Pass in Washington. There is still a train tunnel in the area, and you can apparently still find bits of the wreckage in the gorge. I’ve passed by the site a couple dozen times and have been meaning to stop and explore it a bit. Unbelievably tragic.
J
4th deadliest: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/washington/articles/2026-02-18/a-look-at-the-deadliest-avalanches-in-us-history
P
Interesting, Wikipedia doesn’t include the 1981 Mount Rainier accident on this page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_avalanches_by_death_toll
D
I think it’s considered as a result of the eruption. Plus a lot of the debris coming from the mountain is technically what’s known as a lahar.
I
It does. The entry is under [Ingraham Glacier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingraham_Glacier) .
R
Tragic. It must have been an absolute monster.
L
Described as “a football field in length”
S
That’s actually not big at all. I’m guessing someone didn’t accurately describe it. Large avalanches would fill multiple football fields 10m deep in terms of how much snow they move. This is a D3. They have D4 and D5 avalanches. https://avalanche.org/avalanche-encyclopedia/avalanche/avalanche-problems/avalanche-size/very-large-d3/#:~:text=Can%20destroy%20a%20house,football%20fields%20(~3%2C000%20ft).
L
Right but this is probably describing the debris. Even for larger avalanches, the heavy visible debris can settle into a smaller area
S
Like the bottom of the run out? That makes more sense. Still not crazy huge, though?
M
I read the avalanche was D2.5. Still plenty big to kill unfortunately
J
Especially when it’s coming down upon you and not one you trigger from above and ride down the slope in
S
Big boy for sure but not historic or unprecedented. Just really awful that so many people were caught in it and fully buried. I’m wondering how that actually happened that they were all in avalanche terrain bunched together like that. Usually you send people down in small groups and don’t enter full avy terrain with everyone together.
Additional Sources:
Los Angeles Times – Avalanche kills snowmobiler near Lake Tahoe in winter season’s latest fatality
