A spokesperson for the Placer County sheriff, Sgt. David Smith, the person who died was a male, and another person was found with non-life-threatening injuries. There were no other people reported missing after the fatal event.

The popular Palisades Tahoe ski resort remains closed after a winter storm over the Sierra mountains as well as Northern California dumped several inches of snow at the higher elevations along with gusts of up to 50 mph. The avalanche took place on steep slopes under the KT-22 lift, an area that serves “black diamond” runs for advanced skiers and snowboarders.

Debris from the avalanche covered an area around 150 feet wide by 450 feet long. Most disturbing is the depth of the aftermath of snowfall reported at 10 feet deep. An adjoining resort recorded a 110 mph gust yesterday, Tuesday afternoon, at the summit of Alpine Meadows at 110 mph.

Alpine Meadows has had a history of avalanches with one skier killed and another seriously injured in 2020 after a major storm blew in. Previously in March 1982, seven people were killed which included ski resort workers after an avalanche at the resort.

The Sierra Avalanche Center announced that there is a continual high risk for more avalanches through Thursday and is predicting more will occur as the snow continues to build.

Snowfall is predicted to continue to fall at the rate of 3 inches per hour. This will cause what is known as whiteout conditions across Donner Pass throughout the rest of the day and into the night until around 10:00 pm. It is anticipated that wind and snow will continue to move south and head towards Yosemite Valley.