The group of mothers reportedly knew each other because their children are on a ski team together

Tahoe avalanche on Feb. 18, 2026.Credit : Nevada County Sheriff’s Office

A group of moms on a ski trip are reportedly among the victims of the backcountry avalanche in California.

On Tuesday, Feb. 17, around 11:30 a.m. local time, authorities received a 911 call about the avalanche in the Castle Peak area in the Tahoe National Forest, Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said at a press conference on Wednesday, Feb. 18.

The group of 15 skiers, comprised of 11 clients and four guides, was caught in the avalanche at the conclusion of a three-day backcountry skiing trip near Lake Tahoe, according to a statement from Blackbird Mountain Guides.

Initially, reports stated that nine group members were missing while six people survived. Shortly after, Moon confirmed that eight of the victims were found deceased. Currently, seven of the eight victims are women.

Authorities are still searching for the ninth skier, who is presumed to be dead. No one’s identity will be shared until the next of kin is alerted.

Hours after Moon’s press conference, The San Francisco Chronicle reported a source said that the deceased included a group of mothers whose children were on a ski team at a nearby Sugar Bowl Resort.

The mom group trip was not affiliated with Sugar Bowl but rather part of a tradition inspired by vacations taken by their children’s fathers, according to The San Francisco Chronicle.

Castle Peak Avalanche Rescue Efforts.Nevada County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook

Meanwhile, six people survived, including two men and four women, whose ages range from 30 to 55, Moon said. One of the rescued individuals was a guide, while the other five were on the tour.

Two people were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said. One of those individuals has been released from the hospital, while the other remains hospitalized.

The survivors had found three people dead before help arrived, Moon previously said. Rescuers received information through the iPhone SOS feature before reaching the group, she added.

This avalanche marks one of the deadliest in California history.

There was an avalanche warning in effect from Tuesday at 5 a.m. until 5 a.m. Wednesday. The National Weather Service warned that “rapidly accumulating snowfall, weak layers in the existing snowpack, and gale-force winds that blow and drift snow have created dangerous avalanche conditions in the mountains.”

Danger persists due to the risk of avalanches in California’s Sierra Nevada throughout the week.