LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Avalanche at Palisades Tahoe Shuts Down Mountain
An avalanche occurred at Palisades Tahoe on Wednesday morning, resulting in the closure of the mountain, according to the resort. The incident took place at 9:30 a.m. above the GS gully area of KT-22 on the Palisades side.
Currently, a search operation is underway in the affected area, and both Alpine and Palisades resorts have been closed for the day. While there are no confirmed reports of individuals being trapped, search teams are assessing the situation, as stated by Sgt. David Smith, spokesperson for the Placer County sheriff.
Prior to the avalanche, strong winds exceeding 100 mph were recorded over ridgetops around Lake Tahoe on Tuesday. This was in anticipation of a powerful storm expected to bring up to 2 feet of snow to the highest elevations by early Thursday. Alpine Meadows, the neighboring sister resort of Palisades, experienced gusts of up to 110 mph at its summit.
Palisades Tahoe, formerly known as Squaw Valley, underwent a name change in 2021. The resort made this decision a year after announcing its intention to discard its old name. Palisades is a sister resort of Alpine, previously known as Alpine Meadows, which witnessed one of California’s most devastating avalanches in 1982, resulting in the loss of seven lives.
Please stay tuned to ABC7 News for further updates on this developing story. The Associated Press has contributed to this report.
